The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) on Saturday expressed “immense pain and outrage” that even after four years and a national uproar, justice has not been fully delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and that a ruling party politician facing allegations has been “gifted a high-ranking constitutional office.” In a statement, ALIFA extended “unflinching solidarity” to Ankita’s parents, who it said are “fighting for justice on the streets of Delhi,” and demanded that pending the CBI inquiry and judicial decision, the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor be subject to “immediate presidential review.”
Ankita Bhandari, 19, was a receptionist at the Vanantra resort in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, when she was murdered in September 2022. Media reports said she was coerced to provide “special services” to a “VIP guest,” which she refused. On 30 May 2025, a sessions court in Kotdwar convicted resort owner Pulkit Arya, assistant manager Ankit Gupta and manager Saurabh Bhaskar of murder, assault, abduction and criminal conspiracy, sentencing them to life imprisonment. In June 2026, the Uttarakhand High Court declined interim relief or bail to the convicts challenging the trial court ruling.
The statement said that in late 2025, actress Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, released video and audio recordings naming Dushyant Kumar Gautam, BJP national general secretary, as the “VIP guest.” It said that on 7 January 2026, the Delhi High Court, in response to a defamation suit filed by Dushyant, directed the Congress, AAP and other entities to delete social media posts naming him as the “VIP guest.” Dushyant denies all allegations.
ALIFA said the Uttarakhand government recommended a CBI inquiry in January 2026 after sustained struggle by Ankita’s parents and democratic organisations, and that the inquiry formally began on 2 February 2026 but without much progress. It said the “VIP allegation” is also being investigated by the CBI and that the inquiry appears to have picked up speed only in October. On 12 October 2026, Dushyant was appointed Governor of Sikkim. ALIFA said Ankita’s parents’ plea to the President and their protest in the national capital to hold back the appointment until the CBI finishes its inquiry went unheeded, and that despite protests by students, youth and concerned citizens in Sikkim and a plea by the Sikkim Bar Association to defer the swearing-in, he took oath on 19 October 2026.
“The Central Govt and the President owe an answer to Ankita’s parents and the people of India as to what was the tearing hurry and compulsion in making this specific appointment despite the ongoing CBI inquiry,” ALIFA said, adding: “This is not only an affront to Ankita and her family, but also to the people of Sikkim who deserve a Governor who truly upholds the Constitution.” The statement noted that Article 361(2) of the Constitution bars initiation or continuation of criminal proceedings against a Governor in any court during the term of office, but said the appointment was made while the CBI inquiry was still pending.
ALIFA said it was pained that Ankita’s parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, were detained by Delhi Police at India Gate on 14 October during their protest. It said the parents have still not been told who the “VIP guest” was and that the case cannot be considered closed or justice delivered without this crucial information and action against the VIPs involved. It also said the CBI and courts must investigate who ordered the demolition of parts of the resort in September 2022 and its link to concerns about erasure of crucial evidence. “Ironically, while the persons responsible for arranging ‘special services’ have been brought to justice, the key persons for whom those services were being arranged, are yet to face the law,” the statement said.
ALIFA said the decision-making “once again demonstrates BJP’s scant respect for women facing sexual violence” and “establishes state might through the questionable appointment and hurried swearing-in to an important constitutional office.” It demanded completion of the CBI inquiry within a fixed and fair timeframe, followed by a Supreme Court-monitored judicial finding as requested by Ankita’s parents; a presidential rollback of the decision to appoint Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim pending that process; a public explanation from the Union government on why the appointment could not await the CBI’s findings and a judicial decision; and that Delhi Police stop detaining and harassing Ankita’s parents and uphold their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
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