The murder of a receptionist in Uttarakhand prompts the threat of suicide from the victim’s parents. Son of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Vinod Arya and resort owner Pulkit Arya, together with employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were detained on suspicion of killing the woman.
The family of the receptionist, who was allegedly killed last year for refusing to perform “extra services” for a visitor at a resort in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, has accused the administration of being indifferent to ensuring justice and has threatened to commit suicide if the prosecution attorney Jitendra Rawat is not fired.
The receptionist’s mother criticized the apparent apathy in a public video on Thursday, saying the government would be accountable if they were compelled to commit suicide. She claimed that they are hopeless and feel helpless.
The family claimed the government had cleared Rawat of undermining the case on Wednesday. Ashish Kumar Chauhan, the district magistrate for Pauri Garhwal, did not answer requests for confirmation.
Never miss out on any news updates with our site:
- Amarnath Security Vehicle Accident Leaves Four People Hurt, Including a DSP-Rank Officer!
- Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad Shot at in Saharanpur, Injured Taken to Hospital
- Kannada Actor Suraj Kumar Lost a Leg in a Terrible Accident!
- 19-year-old Dalit Girl Gang-raped, Murdered, and Acid-attacked in Rajasthan
Son of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Vinod Arya and resort owner Pulkit Arya, together with employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were detained on suspicion of killing the 19-year-old woman in September of last year. Six days after she was murdered, the woman’s body was found in a canal:
#BreakingNews: Ankita Bhandari murder case, Uttarakhand
Pushkar Singh Dhami govt bulldozes the Vanantara resort of Pulkit Arya, overnight, after all 3 accused – Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar & Ankit Gupta – confessed that they threw receptionist #AnkitaBhandari in canal. pic.twitter.com/o4vvgIhzkw
— MJ (@MJ_007Club) September 23, 2022
#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Women gherao the Police vehicle that was carrying the accused in Ankita Bhandari murder case
The 19-yr-old receptionist went missing a few days ago & her body was found today. 3 accused, incl Pulkit -owner of the resort where she worked- arrested pic.twitter.com/v3IK8zE1xI
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 23, 2022
Rawat informed HT that he received a call from the administration approving his continued representation of the matter. “It was a conspiracy against me.” He said that some individuals were deceiving the woman’s parents.
The victim’s mother argued they felt helpless and had no hope for justice.
“We requested the district magistrate and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to remove the lawyer but to no avail. They do not want to remove him. Until he is removed, we will not visit the court. I request all witnesses to do the same.”
The mother later admitted to HT that she didn’t believe the government was being sincere.
“If our daughter would not get justice, it would set a wrong precedent. It will allow criminals to commit such acts freely.”
This govt
❌️didn’t care for 291 deaths in Balasore.
❌️didn’t care for over 5 lakhs dead due to COVID.
❌️didn’t care for sexual harassment of our athletes.Why will they care for one murdered receptionist?
Apathy is ingrained in their psyche.https://t.co/FNbVhPbTUh— Jumla Buster (@FekuBuster) June 30, 2023
The woman’s father claimed in a letter to Chauhan dated June 1 that Rawat was purposefully withholding crucial information from the court to save the accused. In his testimony before the court:
“Prosecution witness number 8 Vivek Arya in his statement before the court said the accused attempted to rape my daughter. The prosecution lawyer did not bring such an important fact to the notice of the court and Vivek Arya’s statement was recorded in the court under molestation charge.”
He claimed that Rawat has been posting “objectionable videos” about the case on a YouTube channel, demonstrating his lack of commitment to pursuing justice.
