New Delhi: The parents of Ankita Bhandari walked free early on Thursday after Delhi Police briefly detained them for protesting against the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor.
The couple had gathered near India Gate to press for the withdrawal of Gautam’s appointment, linking it to the allegations surrounding their daughter’s 2022 murder.
Police picked up the protesters on Wednesday evening and released Ankita’s parents at around 5 am. Soon after, her father set a 24-hour deadline for the Centre, saying the family would escalate its campaign if the government refused to act.
“We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the government for the cancellation of Dushyant’s appointment. Nationwide protests will be launched if the government does not accept our demand,” Ankita’s father told PTI Videos.
The family wants Gautam’s appointment kept in abeyance until the Central Bureau of Investigation finishes examining the alleged VIP angle in the case. Gautam was named Sikkim governor on Monday, triggering fresh political controversy around the murder investigation.
Congress Leaders Also Held
The detention was not limited to Ankita’s parents. Congress leaders Pawan Khera, head of the party’s media and publicity department, besides Supriya Shrinate, who leads its social media wing, and Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib were also taken into custody before being released, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The Congress has accused the government of using the gubernatorial appointment to protect Gautam, contending that a serving governor cannot be prosecuted.
Four Years After Murder
Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two accomplices were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The case remained controversial amid allegations of a VIP connection. Ankita’s family has named BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam in connection with the allegations, which he has denied.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary, was appointed governor of Sikkim on October 12.