What is Ankita Bhandari murder case? Timeline of events and ‘VIP’ angle explained

Ankita Bhandari | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Ankita Bhandari murder case is once again in the national spotlight after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, held a sit-in at India Gate with the parents of Bhandari.

Her parents have been demanding that the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor be delayed until the ongoing CBI investigation into the case is complete.

What is the Ankita Bhandari murder case? 

The 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was employed as a receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, went missing in September 2022. Authorities found her body in a canal, five days after she went missing. The owner of the resort, Pulkit Arya, manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and assistant manager Ankit Gupta were arrested. They confessed to pushing her into a canal, and the three were found guilty in May 2025. The police chargesheet mentioned that Bhandari was allegedly being forced to render “special services” to guests at the resort, leading to an altercation between her and the convicts.

The case led to widespread protests in the hill state of Uttarakhand. It became contentious as Pulkit Arya, one of the three convicts, is the son of the then BJP leader Vinod Arya. The leader was expelled from the party after the brutal murder came to light.

‘VIP’ angle

A 2022 Frontline report notes the presence of a “VIP” to whom Bhandari was allegedly forced to render “special services.” It notes that, according to Deputy Inspector General P. Renuka Devi, there was a ‘presidential suite’ meant for VIP guests at the resort. A January 2026 The Hindu report notes that actor Urmila Sanawar, the partner of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, had alleged that the “VIP” in the case was a senior State BJP leader.