Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined a sit-in protest at New Delhi’s India Gate on Wednesday evening alongside the parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old receptionist whose 2022 murder in Uttarakhand sent shockwaves across the country.
The demonstration was staged to protest the recent appointment of former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, with the victim’s family demanding that the appointment be put on hold pending the conclusion of the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged “VIP angle” of the case.
Parents Demand Stays on Gubernatorial Appointment
Ankita’s parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, broke down as they appealed directly to President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and halt Gautam’s transition into a constitutional office.
- Family’s Plea: The grieving parents argued that individuals whose names have surfaced in connection with the wider controversies surrounding the case should not be elevated to gubernatorial posts while investigations remain active.
- The “VIP” Angle: The demand for renewed scrutiny stems from leaked audio clips and testimonies alleging the involvement of an influential VIP in the 2022 murder at the Vanantra Resort near Rishikesh. Though the primary accused—including resort owner Pulkit Arya—were sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2025, the family maintains that the full network of conspirators has yet to be thoroughly probed.
- Ultimatum: The family warned that if their demands are ignored, they intend to launch a hunger strike outside the Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Office in Dehradun.
Political Backlash
Flanked by party MPs and activists, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra voiced absolute solidarity with the family, accusing the central leadership of sheltering individuals under investigation.
The Congress party slammed the appointment on social media and public forums, arguing that rewarding figures linked to public controversies undermines the quest for justice for the victims of crime in India. Meanwhile, Dushyant Kumar Gautam has consistently denied all allegations linking him to the case and has initiated legal action against entities spreading defamatory claims.
