By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Uttarakhand police on Saturday said investigations in the Ankita Bhandari case are going on in the wake of two new FIRs and said if anyone has any authentic information or evidence, they should provide it to the investigating agencies.
“Recently, some audio clips related to this case are being circulated on social media. In this regard, the police have registered two First Information Reports (FIRs), and the investigation is going on. Based on the facts that emerge during the investigation, lawful and effective action will be ensured,” said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Dr. V. Murugesan, in a statement.
Expressing concern over misleading and baseless claims circulating on social media concerning the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Dr Murugesan said since the case was highly sensitive, the government took immediate and effective action as soon as it was informed of the matter in 2022 when the murder took place.
Considering the gravity of the case, the state government immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a senior female IPS officer. All the accused involved in the incident were promptly arrested, and it was ensured that they would not be granted bail at any stage through effective legal representation.
During the investigation and trial process, the case also came before the High Court, where a petition was filed demanding a CBI investigation. But the High Court found the SIT investigation fair, transparent, and lawful and dismissed the petition. Subsequently, the matter was also presented before the Supreme Court which also expressed satisfaction with the investigation and rejected the demand for a CBI investigation.
Following the detailed investigation conducted by the SIT, the case was heard in the Kotdwar court, where the culprits were sentenced to life imprisonment. Currently, the case is under consideration before the High Court.
Recently, some audio clips related to this case are being circulated on social media. In this regard, the police have registered two First Information Reports (FIRs), and the investigations are going on. Based on the facts that emerge during the investigation, lawful and effective action will be ensured, Dr Murugeshan said.
The ADG made an appeal saying since the investigation into the currently registered cases is going on, anyone with authentic information or evidence related to the matter should provide it to the investigating agencies.
Dr. Murugesan said this case is very serious in nature and that the state government is determined to ensure a fair, transparent, and thorough investigation. The government and the police administration will not tolerate any negligence at any level in this matter, and strict action will be taken in accordance with the law, he said.