Ankita Bhandari murder case: Fresh FIR filed against actress Urmila Sanawar a day after her arrest

Ahead of her appearance in a Dehradun court on Monday in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, a fresh FIR was filed here against television actress Urmila Sanawar, a day after she was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur.

Sanawar is scheduled to appear in court after she gave consent to undergo a narco-analysis test on Friday as part of the CBI inquiry into the murder case.

Earlier, she was arrested by Haridwar Police on Sunday from her residence in another case, after the daughter of former Uttarakhand BJP MLA Suresh Rathore filed a complaint on October 24 over her objectionable social media posts.

Fresh FIR over allegations against Sikkim Governor, BJP leader

The new FIR was filed on Sunday night after a Dehradun resident filed a complaint against Sanawar in the evening over “objectionable and defamatory allegations” against Sikkim Governor Dushyant Kumar and BJP national general secretary BL Santosh, among others, in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Complainant Sagar, a resident of Moti Bazar in Dehradun, claimed Sanawar made “highly indecent, inappropriate, false, and malicious statements” and that videos have circulated on social media platforms and news channels.

“This video was recorded outside the CBI Court in Dehradun. In it, Urmila Sanawar has levelled, without any judicial order or evidence, highly objectionable and defamatory personal allegations against the current Governor of Sikkim, Dushyant Kumar Gautam, as well as BL Santhosh, Aarti Gaur, and others,” states the complaint.

The complainant further claimed that “a deliberate and malicious attempt has been made to publicly violate the dignity and honour of a woman.”

“The video was intentionally circulated across digital platforms with the objective of inciting confusion, outrage, and animosity within society, disrupting public peace, and causing irreparable damage to the social standing of the individuals mentioned. This act appears to be a well-orchestrated conspiracy designed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of society,” mentions the FIR.

FIR registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

The FIR was registered at Kotwali Nagar Police Station in Dehradun under sections 79 (insulting the modesty/dignity of a woman through words or acts), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 353 (making false/misleading statements that cause public nuisance or promote enmity), and 356 (criminal defamation and character assassination) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Sanawar's arrest in separate case

Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees in 2022. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case. Sanawar has alleged the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the murder of Ankita.

The complaint filed by Deepika Rathore, daughter of ex-BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, claimed that Sanawar made obscene and defamatory remarks on social media, outraging the family’s reputation.

The complaint further claims that Sanawar made WhatsApp calls demanding the transfer of a property to her name, along with a demand for Rs 5 crore and threats to kill the complainant.

Following this, police registered a case under relevant sections of BNS, as well as Sections 4 and 10 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.