'Seedha sadha balak': Ex-BJP leader on son accused of Ankita Bhandari's murder

Former BJP leader Vinod Arya, the father of the prime accused in the murder of Ankita Bhandari that sparked outrage in Uttarakhand, has reportedly described his son Pulkit as a 'seedha sadha balak' (a simple boy) who is incapable of committing a heinous crime.

The former BJP leader has also denied all allegations against Pulkit. "Seedha sadha balak hai (He is a simple boy). He is only concerned about his work. I want justice for my son Pulkit and Ankita Bhandari. He would never indulge in such activities," Arya was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Arya, who was expelled by the BJP in the wake of massive outrage triggered by Bhandari's murder, also claimed that he himself resigned from the saffron party to ensure a fair investigation into the incident.

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"Pulkit is innocent, still I have resigned from the BJP to ensure a fair investigation. My [other] son Ankit has also resigned," he was quoted as saying by the publication.

Pulkit was the owner of the resort in Rishikesh where 19-year-old Bhandari worked as a receptionist.

He was arrested on Friday, a day before Bhandari's body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh.

The initial investigation into the murder suggests that Bhandari was pressurised into having sex with the guests at the resort and her autopsy has revealed signs of blunt force trauma, despite the cause of death being drowning.