Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: The parents of Ankita Bhandari hit the pavement near India Gate on October 14. They want Dushyant Kumar Gautam blocked from the Sikkim governor post. The President appointed the senior BJP leader on October 12. The family says the appointment must wait until the CBI finishes its investigation into the 2022 murder.
Ankita worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. She was murdered on September 18, 2022. Rescuers found her body in the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two others are currently serving life sentences for the crime.
The family claims a VIP played a key role in the killing. They have consistently pointed to Gautam. He denies the claims and has sued his accusers for defamation. The mother broke down during the protest. She told reporters, "Dushyant Gautam should not be appointed governor until the CBI investigation is complete."
Her father pressed President Droupadi Murmu to pause the transition. The family also threatened a hunger strike at the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office in Dehradun. The Uttarakhand Congress also opposes the appointment. They claim the post acts as a shield against legal scrutiny. A governor enjoys immunity from criminal proceedings while in office. The family still awaits a meeting with the President to voice their concerns.
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