Congress demands SC-monitored CBI probe into Ankita Bhandari murder case

New Delhi, Dec 23 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP and the Uttarakhand government of protecting the accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and demanded that the matter be investigated by the CBI under the supervision of a sitting or a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

Addressing a press conference at the Indira Bhawan AICC headquarters here, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal referred to a video released by a woman claiming to be the wife of a former BJP MLA, claiming that the truth of the murder has now come to light.

Godiyal said if a decision on a CBI inquiry is not taken in the next 10-12 days, the Congress will launch massive protests across the Garhwal division of the state.

He alleged that the BJP and the Uttarakhand government have used all their might to suppress the case, protect the culprits, and ensure that Ankita Bhandari does not get justice.

"We demand a CBI inquiry into this case, and this investigation should be supervised by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court," Godiyal said.

Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at a resort in Pauri district, was allegedly murdered on September 18, 2022. The state government had constituted an SIT to investigate the case.

The court sentenced Pulkit Arya, the owner of the resort and son of a BJP leader, and two others to life imprisonment in the case. PTI SKC ZMN