Gangtok, Oct 18 (IANS): Dushyant Kumar Gautam, Governor-designate of Sikkim, arrived at Burtuk Helipad in Gangtok on Sunday ahead of his swearing-in ceremony scheduled for October 19 at Lok Bhavan, amid mounting political opposition over allegations linking his name to the unresolved VIP angle in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case.
Gautam was received by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, Deputy Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly Raj Kumari Thapa, members of the Council of Ministers, MLAs, Gangtok Municipal Corporation Mayor and councillors, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, political advisers to the Chief Minister, advisers, chairpersons, officers on special duty and senior government officials.
His arrival comes amid protests by opposition parties, students and local residents demanding that the Centre reconsider his appointment until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its probe into the alleged VIP connection in the murder case.
The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) staged a protest in Gangtok on Friday, seeking the withdrawal of Gautam’s appointment until the investigation is completed. The party also appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to intervene, arguing that the controversy raised questions about the suitability of the appointment to a constitutional office.
On Saturday, students and local residents also demonstrated in Gangtok, demanding that Gautam’s swearing-in be deferred until the investigation reaches a conclusion. Ankita Bhandari’s parents have separately demanded that the appointment be cancelled, while Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met them during their protest at India Gate in New Delhi.
Ankita, 19, worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. She was murdered in September 2022. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2023. However, questions surrounding the alleged VIP connection have resurfaced, prompting renewed demands for accountability. A CBI investigation into the alleged VIP angle is now underway.
Gautam, a senior BJP leader and former national general secretary, has denied the allegations and is not among those convicted in the murder case. His alleged connection to the case has not been established by a court. Despite the controversy, the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place on Monday at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok.
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