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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered district magistrates on Friday to investigate all resorts in the state following the suspected murder of a 19-year-old girl. The girl, identified as Ankita Bhandari, was working as a receptionist at a resort in the Yamkeshwar block of the Pauri district.
Three people, including Pulkit Arya, were arrested in the murder case on Friday. Pulkit Arya is the son of former Uttarakhand minister and BJP leader Vinod Arya.
The Uttarakhand Police, in a new development amid the Ankita Bhandari murder case, have arrested Ashutosh Negi, the operator of a news portal, for allegedly trying to sow distrust among people towards the government and the police, according to a statement from the state police.
According to Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar, Pauri Garhwal Police apprehended Negi for attempting to sow discord among citizens in connection with the September 2022 murder of Bhandari, a 19-year-old who worked as a receptionist at a Rishikesh resort.
Uttarakhand DG said, the Special Investigation Team investigating the matter has filed a charge sheet, and the court is currently pending the case. He claimed that people are making provocative statements daily to foster mistrust towards both the government and the police, even though the court is still pending the case trial.
What's the whole matter
Pulkit Arya, owner of Vanantra Resort by the Ganges in Rishikesh, was arrested on Friday along with two accomplices for throwing Ankita Bhandari into a waterway near the resort after she resisted Arya's unwanted sexual advances.
The girl had rejected Arya's sexual advances. It is also alleged that the owner was pushing the teenager into prostitution, something that had worried the girl lately. Bhandari belonged to the Srikot village located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. She recently started working at the resort. Arya has confessed to the crime, according to reports.
When Bhandari disappeared on September 19, Arya's two accomplices concocted a story that Bhandari disappeared without her knowledge.
However, the victim's family and friends launched a search through CCTV footage and showed that Bhandari had called her family the night before her disappearance and that there was no reason for her to go out alone.
Three culprits arrested
While several broken cameras were found in the initial investigation, police found clues linking Arya to the murder. Police found a home tape of Bhandari crying as he talks to a colleague. Ankita Bhandari's chats indicated that Pulkit Arya, her culprit, tried to make sexual advances towards her, all of which she rejected and that angered Arya.
After days of searching for the deceased, the police finally apprehended the three culprits just after the matter was handed over to the regular police on September 22.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar told ANI news agency that resort owner Pulkit Arya (35), manager Saurabh Bhaskar (35) and assistant manager Ankit Gupta (19) were arrested in the case.
"The girl disappeared five or six days ago. The resort area was not within a regular police station area. There is a Patwari police system here and an FIR was registered on behalf of the resort owner," he said. . he said.
Justice For Ankita trending
Uttarakhand police arrest journalist
Ashutosh Negi, already facing charges under the SC/ST Act, encountered further legal trouble after clashing with police during his arrest, resulting in additional charges. Detained on March 5, his actions and the police’s role in fueling rumors are under scrutiny, with the promise of stern action against any officers found culpable, stated Uttarakhand’s DGP Kumar.
DGP Kumar assured that the Uttarakhand Police is fully empowered to conduct a fair and fearless probe into the murder case, with the state government’s backing and no external influence. He emphasized the police’s dedication to delivering justice for Ankita Bhandari and affirmed the support of the Chief Minister and the government.
"Whoever is vaguely blaming the government on the arrest of Ashutosh Negi, they are either being carried away by their emotions or they have an agenda of their own. During the investigation of the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Uttarakhand Police was under no pressure whatsoever. We got the full support of the government and the Chief Minister. State Police has carried out an unbiased and bold investigation," the DGP said.
The DGP dismissed any insinuations of governmental pressure during the investigation, asserting the police’s commitment to an impartial and resolute inquiry. Ankita Bhandari’s case, marked by her body’s discovery in Rishikesh’s Chilla Canal after a six-day disappearance, is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team led by DIG P Renuka Devi.
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