By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
With the murder of Ankita Bhandari returning to the centre of a political storm in Uttarakhand, the state police on Thursday sought to defend its investigation, highlighting the prompt arrests, formation of a special investigation team (SIT), collection of evidence and conviction of the three accused.
Additional Director General of Police (Crime and Law and Order) V. Murugesan addressed a press conference at the police headquarters in Dehradun, detailing the investigation and judicial proceedings in the 2022 murder case as protests mounted over the alleged VIP angle in the case and demands for action against senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam, recently appointed Governor of Sikkim.
The police account appeared aimed at underlining that the investigation into Ankita’s murder had been conducted thoroughly and had resulted in convictions. However, the renewed controversy has centred on a separate question: whether the alleged VIP angle has been fully investigated and all those who may have been involved have been identified.
According to Murugesan, police arrested all three accused including Pulkit Arya within 24 hours of the incident coming to light. The state government subsequently constituted an SIT on the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. A woman IPS officer of DIG rank headed the team, which collected digital, technical, forensic and physical evidence, questioned the accused and examined witness statements and forensic reports.
The SIT completed its investigation in 88 days and filed a chargesheet of around 500 pages in court, Murugesan said.
The trial court in Kotdwar convicted Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta on May 30, 2025, sentencing all three to life imprisonment. They remain in prison.
The convictions marked a major development in the criminal proceedings arising from the murder of the 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh. However, the latest political controversy has shifted attention towards allegations that a VIP was among those linked to the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Ankita’s parents have pressed for a CBI investigation into this alleged angle, while the Congress has intensified its campaign following Gautam’s appointment as Governor. The allegations against Gautam have not been established yet.
The police briefing therefore came at a politically sensitive moment, when the government is facing mounting pressure to address the family’s concerns. While the police have emphasised the arrests, evidence and convictions, the demand for clarity on the alleged VIP angle remains central to the renewed controversy.
The distinction between the convictions already secured and the questions now being raised is likely to remain crucial as the case continues to resonate in Uttarakhand’s political debate ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.