Rahul, Priyanka join Ankita Bhandari's family's protest against ‘VIP’ Sikkim governor's appointment

Ankita Bhandari, a resident of Uttarakhand, worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar, near Rishikesh. She was murdered in 2022.

Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the parents of Ankita Bhandari in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Together, they staged a sit-in near India Gate against the appointment of former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.

The parents of the 19-year-old receptionist, who was murdered in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district in September 2022, have demanded that Gautam’s appointment be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged VIP angle in the case was completed.

Activist Yogita Bhayana also joined the protest, during which Ankita’s parents requested President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and ensure that the investigation examined all allegations related to the case.

Gautam served as the BJP’s Uttarakhand in-charge from November 2020 to August 2026, a period during which the party recorded several electoral victories in the state. He was appointed Sikkim governor on Monday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi voiced support for Ankita Bhandari’s parents and accused the BJP of protecting a “VIP” accused in the case. On X, Rahul said the family had been waiting for justice for four years, alleging that the accused had instead received protection and a constitutional position. “I and the Congress Party stand with them — in their grief as well as in this fight for justice,” he said.

Ankita’s parents demand investigation into alleged VIP role

Speaking to the media during the protest, Ankita’s father demanded action against Gautam and called for the statements of actress Urmila Sanawar and former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore to be included in the investigation.

“Dushyant Kumar should go to jail...because of the VIP my daughter was murdered,” he told HT.

He questioned the progress of the CBI investigation, alleging that it relied on statements made by witnesses in the lower court. He also claimed that the call details of the accused had not been examined.

“I request the President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar as governor until the CBI investigation is complete,” he said. “Even though the CBI probe is underway, it is depending on the statements of witnesses in lower court. Statements of Urmila Sanawar and Suresh Rathore should be included in the investigation. The call details of the accused were not examined.”

Ankita’s mother also appealed to the President to reconsider the appointment.

“We were hurt by the appointment of Kumar as governor. I request the President, who is a woman and will understand my sentiments, to halt the appointment of Kumar as governor,” she said.

The family has sought a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of a VIP in Ankita’s murder. Gautam has not been named as an accused in the cases related to the crime, and the allegations against him remain unproven.

Audio clip triggered demands for CBI probe

The demand for a fresh investigation into the alleged VIP angle gained momentum after actress Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, released an audio clip purportedly containing a telephone conversation between the two.

In the recording, Rathore allegedly referred to the involvement of a BJP leader in the case. The clip triggered protests across Uttarakhand, with demonstrators demanding a CBI investigation into the alleged role of the unidentified VIP.

Following the protests, the Uttarakhand government ordered a CBI probe in January.

Gautam has denied allegations linking him to the murder and filed a case against Rathore, Sanawar, the Uttarakhand unit of the Congress, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other unidentified individuals over claims connecting him to the case.

The Delhi High Court has also directed the removal of social media posts linking Gautam to the murder, observing that the allegations appeared prima facie defamatory, HT reported earlier.

Congress protests Gautam’s appointment

The protest at India Gate came a day after the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UKPCC), led by its president Ganesh Godiyal, held a silent demonstration in Dehradun against Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor.

The Congress has questioned the decision to appoint Gautam while demands for an investigation into the alleged VIP angle remain unresolved. The party has called for accountability and further scrutiny of the allegations.

The Congress accused the BJP-led Centre of protecting Gautam following his appointment as Sikkim governor, alleging that the decision undermined the demand for justice in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case.