A women's rights group, All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS), has issued a strong condemnation of the police action taken against the parents of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist from Uttarakhand whose 2022 murder has sparked renewed national outrage following a controversial political appointment.
In a press note, the organisation stated that Ankita’s grieving parents were “detained by force” while participating in a peaceful protest at India Gate seeking justice for their daughter. Delhi Police detained Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi around 4 a.m. on Thursday, along with several opposition leaders, and released them approximately an hour later. AIMSS denounced the police action as “insensitive” and “high-handed.”
The organisation also raised serious concerns regarding the central government’s decision to appoint former BJP national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim on October 12, before the investigation into the alleged “VIP angle” in Ankita’s murder had been fully completed.
The case returned to the spotlight after an FIR was registered against an unidentified VIP in January 2026, following viral audio and video clips purportedly referring to the involvement of an influential person. Gautam’s name has been raised by Ankita’s family in connection with these allegations, which he has denied and for which he has initiated defamation proceedings. He was not among the three men convicted in the murder, and the allegations against him have not been established in court.
“Appointing such a person to the office of Governor sends a negative and discouraging message to every woman in the country who is fighting for justice,” the AIMSS statement read.
The organisation demanded the immediate suspension of Gautam’s appointment, citing concerns that the constitutional immunity enjoyed by a sitting Governor under Article 361 could prevent any criminal proceedings from being instituted or continued against him while in office.
Ankita Bhandari, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya—son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya—along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on May 30, 2025.
Despite the convictions, demands for a further investigation into the alleged involvement of an unidentified VIP have continued, with Ankita’s family seeking clarity on whether anyone else was connected to the crime.
AIMSS criticised the authorities for resorting to the “unjust detention” of Ankita’s parents instead of ensuring a fair, transparent, and thorough investigation. The organisation expressed its firm solidarity with the family, stating, “AIMSS stands firmly with Ankita Bhandari’s parents in their courageous struggle for truth and justice.” The organisation appealed to all democratic and women’s rights organisations across the country to unite and continue raising their voices against this injustice.
The Congress party has alleged that the appointment was aimed at shielding Gautam, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi writing to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to ask the government to reconsider the appointment until the CBI completes its investigation. Protests have also erupted in Sikkim, where the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front called the appointment an “insult” to Sikkimese women.
The press note was signed by Bharti Parmar (President) and Leela Gohil (Secretary) of the Gujarat State Committee of AIMSS.
Comments