By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Dushyant Gautam was sworn in as new Sikkim Governor on Monday despite protests in Uttarakhand, Delhi and Sikkim over his appointment, with demonstrators linking their opposition to demands for a thorough CBI probe into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari.
In a video released on Sunday, Gautam has defended himself against the allegations and threatened legal action against those who were trying to defame him.
Ankita’s parents staged a sit-in at India Gate in New Delhi last week, demanding justice for their daughter and a thorough investigation into the alleged VIP connection. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined them in solidarity.
In Dehradun, Congress leaders and workers held protests against Gautam’s appointment, arguing that the demand for accountability in the Ankita case must not be ignored. Protests were also reported in Sikkim, where demonstrators opposed the appointment.
Ankita, 19, was murdered in September 2022 while working as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The alleged VIP angle has remained a focus of public demands for further investigation, prompting renewed protests as Gautam assumed his new constitutional office.