Mobile phone of suspect in Vinita Bhandari case sent for recovering deleted data

Wednesday, 20 December 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN

Police have sent the mobile phone of the youth who allegedly had an affair with 21-year-old Vinita Bhandari for technical analysis. Bhandari’s half-burnt body was found in the forest on Sunday. The man named Arjun Rawat (22) was arrested by police on Sunday as it was speculated that he refused to marry her and allegedly pushed her to commit suicide. The police have sent Rawat’s mobile phone to the forensic laboratory in Chandigarh to recover all deleted data like messages to determine what exactly happened between him and Bhandari before her death, said the station house officer of Muni Ki Reti police station Ritesh Shah. Bhandari’s post mortem report was also expected on Tuesday but the SHO said that AIIMS-Rishikesh has not handed over the report yet. It might take one more day to get the report, he added. On the question of the development in the case, he said that the postmortem report is expected to clear the victim’s cause of death. However, all evidence so far are pointing towards the possibility that Bhandari possibly committed suicide, said Shah. He also said that the police arrested Rawat but have got no such evidence or clue so far that shows that he killed the victim or was directly involved in it. “The man is being suspected to be her killer but as per our investigation and analysis so far, he was reportedly in his college when Bhandari died. He has denied all allegations of any involvement in her death,” said SHO. It is recalled that Bhandari went missing from her home on December 4 in Tehri’s Muni Ki Reti area. After her parents registered a missing complaint of their daughter, the police found her half burnt body 12 days later in a forest in Rishikesh on Sunday. SHO said that forensic experts have also gathered some evidence from the spot where the victim’s body was found and its report is also expected in the next two to three days. He said that the police understand the sensitivity of the matter and are handling the case accordingly. “We understand people’s concern regarding the case but rest assured, everything is being done as per the law to ensure no evidence is left that can help us in the case. The police are investigating the case from all possible angles,” he added.