Dhami meets Ankita Bhandari's parents, assures them of justice

Dehradun, Jan 7 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met the parents of Ankita Bhandari, who was killed in 2022, and assured them of justice in the case.

Dhami told Ankita's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, that ensuring justice in the case is his government's top priority.

On Tuesday, the chief minister said that a decision on a CBI investigation into the murder would be taken after he has talked to Ankita's parents, and according to their wishes.

"As the chief servant of the state, I will talk to her (Ankita's) parents. After talking to them and studying all the legal aspects, whatever they want for their daughter's justice, we will take it forward," he had said.

A demand for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing of the resort receptionist has gathered pace ever since Urmila Sanawar, the alleged wife of expelled BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, claimed the involvement of a 'VIP' in the murder case, allegedly a BJP politician.

On Tuesday, Dhami, at a press conference, said that Dushyant Kumar Gautam, the BJP politician alleged to be the "VIP", was not in Uttarakhand at the time of Ankita's killing.

"Our in-charge (Gautam) was named in a press conference in Delhi. The police have also verified that he did not come to Uttarakhand between September 10 and September 20," he said. PTI DPT VN VN