Ready for further probe in Ankita Bhandari murder case: Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, said his government will do “whatever it takes” to get justice for Ankita Bhandari, including ordering a fresh investigation. The Prime Minister’s remarks come in the wake of State-wide protests by residents as well as officials of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the past two weeks, demanding a fresh probe into Bhandari’s murder.

Speaking to reporters in Dehradun, Mr Dhami said the case had affected the residents of Uttarakhand and they had “expressed their views with sensitivity”.

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“As the chief servant of the state, I will speak to Ankita’s parents. After discussing the issue with them and examining the legal aspects, we will proceed as per their wishes to get justice for their daughter,” the Chief Minister said.

Bhandari, who was 19 when she was killed in September 2022, was a receptionist at a resort owned by Pulkit Arya, son of now-deported BJP leader Vinod Arya. Police said in a 500-page criminal complaint that Bhandari was killed because she refused to provide sexual favors to a “VIP guest” at the resort. In May 2025, a sessions court sentenced Pulkit Arya and his two accomplices to life imprisonment for the murder.

However, the demand for a fresh probe was sparked when former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore’s partner, actress Urmila Sanawar, alleged that the ‘VIP’ in the case was a senior State BJP leader.

Demand for CBI investigation

Since then, Bhandari’s parents, the Opposition Congress and various social organizations have demanded an investigation from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to identify the “guest”.

Former Prime Minister and Lok Sabha member Trivendra Singh Rawat is also among the senior leaders of the ruling party pushing for a fresh investigation into the case.