NewDelhi: The Additional District and Session Judge’s court in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, has convicted three individuals in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari. The case drew widespread attention and sparked protests in the local community after Ankita, a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Pauri district’s Yamkeshwar, was allegedly killed by resort operator Pulkit Arya and his two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, on September 18, 2022.
The conviction marks a significant development in the case, bringing closure to Ankita’s family and loved ones.
The BJP had shown Vinod Arya the door after the controversy erupted and the Uttarakhand government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
The Uttarakhand court completed its hearing in the Ankita Bhandari murder case on Monday and announced the much-awaited verdict today.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi on May 19 this year heard the final arguments between the defence and the prosecution in the case which had rocked Uttarakhand due to its political overtones.
After hearing the closing arguments of both sides, the Judge had fixed May 30 as the date for pronouncing the verdict.
The hearing of the case lasted for two years and eight months. During this time, 47 witnesses, including the Investigation Officer, were presented by the prosecution advocate Anuj Pundir.
According to the prosecution, Ankita Bhandari and Pulkit Arya had a dispute over something, after which the man, along with Bhaskar and Gupta, allegedly pushed the woman into the Cheela canal in Rishikesh.
After Ankita Bhandari’s lifeless body was fished out of the Cheela canal, the three men were arrested by the police and sent to prison. Fearing leniency for the accused and his accomplices due to his political connections, the residents of Pauri district came out in large numbers to protest, and the Uttarakhand government formed a SIT to probe the matter and take the case to its logical conclusion.
Bureau Report
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