Pulkit Arya, Two Others Get Life Term For 2022 Murder Of Ankita Bhandari In Uttarakhand
Kotdwar, Uttarakhand: Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP leader, and his two associates, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday for the 2022 murder of 19-year-old receptionist Ankita Bhandari. The Additional District and Sessions Court in Kotdwar also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the three convicts.
The three men were convicted under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, including Section 302 (murder), Section 201 (destruction of evidence), and Section 354A (sexual harassment).
The court’s decision followed a year-long trial that began on March 28, 2023, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) presenting a 500-page chargesheet and 97 witnesses, of which 47 were examined in court.
Also Read | Sitapur’s Rs 5.31-Crore Water Tank Collapses; 5th Case In Uttar Pradesh
The Night of September 18, 2022
Ankita Bhandari went missing on the night of September 18, after she was taken to Rishikesh by the accused. She worked at the Vanantara Resort owned by Pulkit Arya in Pauri district. Her body was found six days later in the Chilla canal, and a probe revealed she was pushed into the water after resisting demands to provide “special services” to guests.
The incident sparked national outrage and highlighted issues of women’s safety, political influence, and lapses in the investigation process. The initial response by the revenue police, under whose jurisdiction the resort fell, drew severe criticism. Patwari Vaibhav Pratap failed to register a missing report and went on leave after being informed of Ankita’s disappearance. He was later suspended and arrested for dereliction of duty and suspected collusion with the accused.
Following public outcry, the case was transferred to regular police on September 22, and a SIT was formed. The administration also demolished a section of the Vanantara Resort amid allegations of an attempt to destroy key evidence.
Pulkit Arya’s father, Vinod Arya, who held ministerial rank in the former Trivendra Singh Rawat-led BJP government, was expelled from the party, along with Pulkit’s brother.
Family members of Ankita Bhandari, who had consistently demanded the death penalty, expressed disappointment over the verdict. “The way my daughter was murdered by the three men, we have been reiterating – ‘death for death’. We hope that all three are sentenced to death. As long as the accused are not hanged, we will have to protest and take to the streets,” said Ankita’s father, Birendra Bhandari.
Her mother, Soni Devi, added, “I request that the accused be hanged.”
Also Read | No Two Shifts: Supreme Court Directs NEET-PG 2025 To Be Conducted In Single Shift
The Uttarakhand government had promised to build a nursing college in Ankita’s name, but her family claims that pledge remains unfulfilled to this day.
The case has renewed scrutiny of the state’s revenue policing system, with Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri previously writing to the Chief Minister seeking the replacement of revenue officers with regular police in sensitive areas.
