Urmila Sanawar deposes before SIT in Haridwar on claims in Ankita Bhandari murder case

Dehradun, Jan 8 (PTI) Urmila Sanawar, who created a political storm in Uttarakhand with fresh allegations in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Haridwar on Thursday, a day after recording her statement in Dehradun.

Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Dobal said Sanawar, who claims to be an actress, deposed before the SIT in the four-five-hour interrogation.

Sanawar later told reporters that her statements were recorded in front of at least four cameras. She said she would submit her mobile phone to the competent court on Friday.

Sanawar, who also claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, expelled from the party, said Rathore and BJP leader Dushyant Gautam are "childhood friends" and possess a lot of information about the murder case.

Gautam, the party's state-in-charge, was earlier named by Sanawar as the "VIP" alleged to have a hand in the 19-year-old receptionist's murder in 2022.

She later retracted the statement in another audio conversation purportedly between her and Rathore.

Sanawar told reporters that she would visit Ankita's family and join them in their fight for justice.

On Wednesday, she appeared before the police in Dehradun and recorded her statement.

The Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said Sanawar was called to record her statement in connection with the cases registered against her at Nehru Colony and Dalanwala police stations in Dehradun.

He said she gave the police audio clips purportedly of her conversations with Rathore, which will be sent to the forensic science laboratory for scientific testing.

The SSP said Sanawar was also asked to provide the evidence that she claimed to have given to the police in the news she circulated on social media.

She has given none yet, he said.

The officer said Sanawar also submitted a petition regarding her security, which has been sent to the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) for a detailed report.

Earlier, Gautam also filed a case against Sanawar and Rathore in Dehradun for allegedly conspiring against him in collusion with opposition parties.

Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees.

All three were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.

A demand for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing has gathered pace after Sanawar claimed the involvement of a 'VIP' in the murder. PTI DPT VN VN