'Ready for any probe if credible evidence given': Uttarakhand minister on Ankita Bhandari murder

Dehradun, Jan 2 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government on Friday said it was ready for any investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case "if credible evidence is presented" amid demands from the opposition Congress for a CBI probe.

The Congress has been seeking a CBI probe following a video released by a woman, who claims to be the wife of a former BJP MLA, that refers to a "VIP" responsible for the 19-year-old receptionist's death in 2022.

Uttarakhand minister Subodh Uniyal held a press conference here and defended the SIT investigation under the leadership of a woman Deputy Inspector General of Police in the case.

Uniyal said the trial court, the high court and the Supreme Court have considered the SIT probe to be correct. "All three courts have acknowledged that no attempt was made to protect any VIP. No VIP was found to be involved in the investigation," he said.

He also asked those "making allegations on social media" to come forward and present the evidence, assuring them that the government would take responsibility for their safety.

Uniyal also hinted at a political conspiracy in the new allegations as the case is at the appeal stage after the convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment. The new revelations could be part of a conspiracy to benefit the convicts, he said.

"The government is ready for any investigation if credible evidence comes to light," Uniyal said.

He questioned that the video does not have a timestamp and throws up one or two names without any evidence. This seems to be intended to cause personal harm to them, the minister said.

Urmila Sanawar, a woman claiming to be the wife of former MLA Suresh Rathore, recently released videos and audio recordings of her alleged conversations with Rathore, alleging that the 'VIP' in the Ankita Bhandari murder case is a person named 'Gattu'.

In another video, the woman identified Gattu as Dushyant Kumar Gautam, the BJP general secretary and in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand.

Former MLA Suresh Rathore, who was expelled from the BJP, said that his voice was generated using AI and the audios have been widely shared with the intention of tarnishing his political image.

The Congress has demanded a CBI inquiry supervised by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court into the case.

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 DPT SKY SKY