Ankita Bhandari: Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old from Dobh-Srikot village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, had just started working as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar when Pulkit Arya and his associates ended her life. Less than a month into her job, they murdered her and dumped her body in the Cheela canal near Rishikesh.

Police later arrested Pulkit Arya, the resort owner and son of a prominent BJP leader, along with his two aides, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. Their arrest quickly triggered national outrage and political backlash, turning a local crime into a high-profile case that shocked the country.

Police Investigation:

Police investigations revealed that on the evening of September 18, 2022, Pulkit Arya and his friends pressured Ankita Bhandari to provide “special services” to resort guests. When Ankita firmly resisted, the three men engaged in a heated altercation with her. They then forced her into a car, drove to the Cheela canal, a hazardous man-made waterway, and shoved her into its strong currents.

In an attempt to mislead authorities, Pulkit Arya falsely reported Ankita as missing later that night. Initially, delays hampered the investigation. Since the resort lay outside the jurisdiction of regular police, a revenue official known as a patwari handled the complaint. His limited authority stalled critical early action. As public pressure mounted and Ankita’s friends and family raised serious concerns, officials finally transferred the case to the proper jurisdictional police. By then, public anger and mistrust toward law enforcement had escalated dramatically.

On September 24, six days after Ankita went missing, police recovered her body from the canal. A post-mortem conducted at AIIMS Rishikesh confirmed drowning as the cause of death but also revealed signs of blunt-force trauma, indicating physical assault. Although tests ruled out sexual assault, forensic evidence supported the claim that Ankita had resisted being exploited, highlighting her courage in the face of coercion.

Also Read: Bengaluru Crime: Minor Girl’s Body Found in Suitcase

Massive Protests:

The case immediately triggered large-scale protests. Angry locals stormed police vehicles that transported the suspects and vandalized the Vanantra Resort. That same night, authorities moved swiftly and demolished the illegally constructed resort. Although the BJP expelled Pulkit Arya’s father, Vinod Arya, his public defense of his son only fueled public outrage further. His remarks, defending Pulkit as a “simple boy,” intensified the backlash and drew widespread condemnation.

Meanwhile, the police conducted a prompt investigation and filed a 500-page charge sheet within the mandated time. The prosecution supported its case with audio recordings and witness testimonies, which revealed that Ankita had firmly resisted Pulkit Arya’s alleged attempts to force her into prostitution. Finally, on May 30, 2025,  nearly three years after Ankita’s tragic death, the court delivered justice by convicting Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta of murder.

Also Read: Extramarital affair is not a crime: Delhi High Court’s verdict

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