Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi meet Ankita Bhandari's parents at India Gate amid protests over Dushyant Kumar Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday met with the parents of the late Ankita Bhandari during their sit-in protest at India Gate in New Delhi.

The grieving family is staging a demonstration against the recent appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, citing alleged links and calling for an immediate halt to his constitutional posting pending a central investigation.

Expressing deep dissatisfaction over the government's decision, Ankita's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, demanded legal accountability over political appointment, "Dushyant Kumar should be behind bars... I earnestly request the Honorable President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar as Governor until the CBI investigation is concluded."


Reiterating the plea, Ankita's mother, Soni Devi, made a direct emotional appeal to President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and halt the process, "We were deeply pained when we heard the news on the 12th that he (BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam) has now been named Governor. I appeal to the Honorable President, who is herself a woman and will surely understand my sentiments, to halt the move to appoint this individual as Governor until the CBI investigation against him is concluded."

The protest is linked to the September 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Her family has objected to any individual whose name surfaced during the investigation being appointed to constitutional office without being cleared by investigative agencies.

She was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022.

The resort owner Pulkit Arya (son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya) and two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were arrested, chargesheeted and on May 30, 2025, sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar for murder, destruction of evidence and other charges.

Allegations of VIP involvement have surfaced in public discourse since the murder. The SIT probe mentioned "VIP" in relation to a room, but police stated the conviction was based on evidence against the three accused.

Ankita Bhandari's parents have long demanded the identity of the "VIP" guest mentioned in the case, alleging that powerful individuals have been shielded throughout the investigation. They argue that elevating a leader associated with such allegations to a high constitutional office undermines the pursuit of justice.

Social activist Yogita Bhayana joined the parents of Ankita Bhandari at India Gate on Wednesday, staging a protest to demand justice for the 2022 murder victim.

In a post on X, "Outside India Gate, sitting in protest with Ankita Bhandari's parents!!", she said.

https://x.com/yogitabhayana/status/2110341089656004994

During the interaction, Rahul Gandhi expressed his solidarity with the grieving parents, assuring them of his support in their ongoing battle for accountability.

The Congress party has since ramped up its criticism of the ruling party, terming the gubernatorial appointment an "insult to the victim" and a mockery of the justice system.

On Monday, Dushyant Gautam was appointed Governor of Sikkim; he is a former BJP National General Secretary and former president of the party's Scheduled Caste Morcha. He has served as a councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and as a Rajya Sabha member.

Gautam, a Dalit leader, has held several organisational positions within the BJP and has been associated with initiatives concerning Scheduled Caste communities.