Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met Ankita Bhandari’s parents near India Gate on Wednesday as the family protested against BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor.
The family has urged President Droupadi Murmu to put the appointment on hold until the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged VIP angle in Ankita’s murder case. Her mother, Soni Devi, became emotional during the protest and appealed to the President to consider their demand. The family also said it had sought an appointment with Murmu.
Ankita, 19, worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh. She was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two accomplices were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case has also drawn attention to allegations concerning an unidentified VIP. Ankita’s family has demanded further investigation into this aspect and raised Gautam’s name in connection with the allegations. However, the accusations against him remain unproven, and he has denied them.
Congress leaders have also opposed Gautam’s appointment. Police said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in force near India Gate.