All accused, including expelled BJP leader’s son get life imprisonment in Ankita Bhandari murder case

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun

The Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar, Pauri district of Uttarakhand sentenced all three accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case to life imprisonment on Friday. The court held Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari.

The verdict came nearly three years after the brutal crime shocked Uttarakhand and the nation. The court awarded Arya life imprisonment along with five years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine under Section 201 IPC for destruction of evidence, two years under Section 354A IPC for sexual harassment with a Rs 10,000 fine and five years under Section 3(1)(d) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) along with a Rs 2,000 fine. Bhaskar and Gupta also received life imprisonment under Section 302 IPC, five years under Section 201 IPC with a Rs 10,000 fine and five years under the ITPA with a Rs 2,000 fine each. The court further directed that the victim’s family be paid Rs four lakh in compensation. The judgment marks a significant development in the case that triggered widespread outrage and protests in Uttarakhand.

Ankita Bhandari was murdered in September 2022. She worked as a receptionist at Vanantara Resort in Yamkeshwar, Pauri district. It was alleged that she was pressurised to provide ‘special service’ to VIP guests and when she resisted, she was killed on September 18, 2022 by resort owner Pulkit Arya along with his two associates, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. The police arrested the three accused on September 23 and the next day, Ankita’s body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh based on the accused’s disclosure. The case quickly escalated into a high-profile matter, drawing public attention and intense media scrutiny. After Pulkit’s arrest, the BJP expelled his father, Vinod Arya and his brother Ankit Arya from the party. Vinod Arya was a position holder during the BJP government led by Trivendra Singh Rawat, now an MP from Haridwar. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DIG (Law and Order) P Renuka Devi investigated the case. The trial began on January 30, 2023, in the ADJ Court at Kotdwar and the prosecution and defence presented arguments over a period of two years and eight months.

The court found all three accused guilty on Friday and sentenced the three accused to life imprisonment for their roles in Bhandari’s murder. Ankita Bhandari’s mother Soni Devi said during media interaction on Friday that she may approach the High Court to challenge the court’s verdict as she seeks death penalty against the culprits.