Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to “silence” the parents of Ankita Bhandari, saying they were taken into custody at 4 am from India Gate, where they were protesting the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim governor.
“This is the hallmark of this government: silence the voices of the victims, remove those who ask questions,” Gandhi said in a post on X. “But the fight for justice will neither be silenced nor stopped.”
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the couple were sitting quietly to demand that Gautam should not be made governor until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its probe into the murder of their daughter, a 19-year-old resort receptionist from Uttarakhand.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary, has denied any link to the case. He moved the Delhi High Court, which directed the Congress and the AAP to remove social media posts connecting him to the death.
Ankita Bhandari worked at the Vanantra resort in Pauri Garhwal. She went missing on September 18, 2022, barely three weeks into the job, and her body was recovered from a canal days later. The case set off protests across Uttarakhand and sustained public anger over how the early investigation was handled.
Three men, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were sentenced to life imprisonment. The family has continued to press for a probe into a so-called “VIP” angle. The demand gained pace after a video released in December by Urmila Sanawar, wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, claimed the VIP was a person nicknamed “Gattu,” whom she identified as Gautam.
Ankita’s parents have alleged Dushyant’s involvement in the case and launched a protest demanding that his appointment be put on hold.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a CBI inquiry on January 9 this year. The agency took custody of the SIT report, the FIR and other records on February 4, and a case was registered against an unidentified VIP. CBI has not named anyone.
“The Congress stands with Ankita Bhandari’s family, and will continue to stand until they get justice,” Gandhi said, turning a late-night detention into the party’s latest line of attack on the Centre.
Gautam was named governor on Monday. Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal announced a one-hour silent fast in Dehradun the following day, saying the appointment deeply hurts the sentiments of the people of the state.