Gangtok, Oct 19: Sikkim got its 19th Governor on Monday, with Dushyant Kumar Gautam taking oath at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok despite opposition to his appointment over the ongoing probe into the alleged 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, at a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and members of his Council of Ministers.
President Droupadi Murmu had appointed Gautam on October 12, succeeding Om Prakash Mathur.
The swearing-in proceeded despite appeals to the President to defer the appointment until concerns surrounding the Ankita Bhandari case were addressed.
Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist, was murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022. Three men have been convicted in the case, while questions surrounding an alleged VIP connection remain under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Congress general secretary Kumari Selja criticised Gautam’s appointment, alleging that his name had surfaced in connection with the case and questioning the scope of the ongoing investigation.
“The appointment risks undermining public confidence as the probe remains underway,” she said.
Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) president and former chief minister Pawan Chamling had urged President Murmu to postpone the swearing-in, citing public apprehension and the need to preserve the dignity of the Governor’s office.
“The dignity of constitutional institutions and the concerns of the people of Sikkim must not be overlooked,” Chamling said, calling for the concerns surrounding the appointment to be examined before it proceeded.
The Bar Association of Sikkim had also submitted a representation on October 18 to the President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and state leaders, seeking that the appointment be kept in abeyance until the the appropriate legal process is complete.
The association, however, clarified that it was not making direct allegations against Gautam or prejudging his guilt.
The BJP’s Sikkim unit backed the constitutional appointment while maintaining that the CBI investigation should proceed independently, including its examination of the alleged VIP angle.
Gautam’s appointment had earlier triggered protests in Gangtok, with students and citizens demanding that the Centre defer his induction until the CBI investigation is complete.
Activists and opposition parties had also urged elected representatives to raise the issue, arguing that public concerns surrounding the case should be addressed before he assumed office.