A high-profile murder case that Uttarakhand believed legally “closed” in May 2025 has returned to the centre of public debate, with fresh political allegations, sharp denials, and renewed questions over the role of a powerful “VIP” whose identity remains officially undisclosed.The 19-year-old receptionist Ankita Bhandari was killed in September 2022 while working at Vanantara Resort near Rishikesh, after allegedly resisting pressure to provide “extra services” to a VIP guest. The resort’s owner Pulkit Arya, son of an expelled BJP leader, along with staffers Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were accused of taking her towards the Chilla canal, where she was later found dead. The case triggered massive protests across Uttarakhand, driven by anger over women’s safety and alleged political shielding of the accused.
Court Verdict: Life Imprisonment, But Unanswered Questions
On May 30, 2025, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kotdwar convicted all three accused under sections including 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 354A (sexual harassment) and provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, sentencing them to rigorous life imprisonment. The court also imposed fines on the convicts and directed that compensation be paid to Ankita’s family, following an SIT probe and a 500-page chargesheet examining dozens of witnesses. Despite the verdict, key issues remained unresolved, particularly the missing mobile phone and the unanswered question of who the alleged VIP guest was.
Resort Demolition, Missing Phone Fuel Suspicion
One of the earliest controversies in the case was the demolition of Vanantara Resort soon after the crime surfaced, which critics said risked destroying crucial forensic evidence. Separately, investigators acknowledged that Ankita’s phone, which reportedly contained chats about pressure to provide “extra services” to a VIP, could not be recovered, deepening doubts over whether the probe had fully uncovered the network behind the crime. These gaps have been repeatedly cited by the victim’s family and opposition parties to argue that justice has been only partially served.
December 2025: Viral Clips And Fresh Political Storm
In December 2025, fresh turbulence began when actor Urmila Sanawar, linked to former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, appeared in videos and clips that circulated on social media, in which a senior BJP national leader and Uttarakhand in-charge was referred to as the “VIP” connected to the case. The clips, purportedly involving a conversation about the VIP’s identity, led to two new FIRs against Rathore and Sanawar for allegedly spreading misleading content and attempting to tarnish the leader’s reputation. The circulation of these materials reignited public anger and brought the three-year-old VIP question back into the headlines.
BJP Leader’s Complaint And Strong Denial
The BJP national general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge, whose name surfaced in the viral material, reacted by sending a formal complaint to the Uttarakhand Home Secretary. In his letter, he alleged that a “fake and fabricated” audio had been created and circulated as part of a “criminal conspiracy” to damage his honour, and requested strict action and takedown of the clips from media and social media platforms. He has maintained that the allegations are completely baseless and has indicated intent to pursue defamation proceedings after verification of facts.
Mother’s Appeal And Opposition Demands
Ankita’s mother, Soni Devi, has responded to the latest developments by urging that anyone having genuine evidence should place it directly before the court and investigative agencies, stressing that the “truth must come out” and the real masterminds, if any, must face the harshest punishment. Opposition leaders and activists have renewed demands for a higher-level probe, including calls for a CBI investigation supervised by the higher judiciary, arguing that the VIP angle, missing phone and resort demolition require independent scrutiny beyond the concluded trial. Protests and press conferences across Uttarakhand have framed the issue not only as a legal case but as a test of the state’s commitment to women’s safety and accountability for those in power.
Justice Closed On Paper, Open In Public Mind
Legally, the Ankita Bhandari case stands with three men convicted and serving life sentences, following a lengthy trial and SIT investigation. Politically and socially, however, the case remains open in the public imagination, with the identity and role of the alleged VIP, the loss of key electronic evidence, and the timing of the resort demolition continuing to raise doubts about whether the entire chain of responsibility has been exposed. As new allegations, denials and FIRs unfold in December 2025, the central question persists: has Uttarakhand truly delivered full justice for Ankita Bhandari, or only a partial closure?