CBI takes over Ankita Bhandari case from Uttarakhand Police

New Delhi: The CBI has registered a case into the alleged murder of 19-year-old resort receptionist Ankita Bhandari in 2022, taking over the investigation from the Uttarakhand Police, officials said on Monday.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recommended a CBI inquiry into the case on the demand of the deceased receptionist's parents.

The CBI has taken over the material from Uttarakhand Police and registered its own case on the basis of it, they said.

The parents had demanded a CBI enquiry into the case under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

In the letter, Ankita's father said that his daughter was murdered because of a "VIP" whose identity is still unknown.

In 2022, Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment in this case.

Calls for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing have intensified since Urmila Sanawar, an actress who says she is the wife of a legislator, alleged the involvement of a "VIP" in the murder. She released videos and audio recordings on social media, which she claims capture conversations with the MLA and point to the role of a powerful figure in the Ankita murder case.

Referring to the recent audio clips being circulated on social media, the chief minister said that separate FIRs have been registered, and an investigation is underway.

The fresh claims have caused ripples in the state government, prompting sustained protests by political parties and civil society groups, including the opposition Congress, which has pressed for a CBI inquiry.

On January 4, workers from the Congress, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, Mahila Manch, leftist parties and other organisations gathered at the Parade Ground and marched toward the chief minister's residence, reiterating demands that the case be transferred to the CBI to disclose the identity of the alleged "VIP."