Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 15 Oct: Dr. V. Murugesan, Additional Director General of Police (Crime and Law and Order), Uttarakhand, provided detailed information regarding the investigation and judicial proceedings in the Ankita Bhandari murder case at a press conference held at Police Headquarters, here, today.
Dr. Murugesan stated that the Uttarakhand Police acted promptly in the tragic incident that occurred in 2022 with the late Ankita Bhandari, a young woman working at the Vanantara Resort near Rishikesh. Through mutual coordination, police teams arrested all three accused within 24 hours of the incident.
The Additional Director General of Police stated that, given the gravity and sensitivity of the incident, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was immediately formed on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. A DIG-level female IPS officer was appointed as the chairperson of the SIT to ensure a thorough and effective investigation.
He stated that the SIT meticulously collected digital, technical, forensic, and physical evidence during the investigation. Additionally, all critical evidence, including detailed interrogations of the accused, forensic reports, and witness statements, was thoroughly analyzed. The SIT completed the investigation in 88 days and filed a detailed, approximately 500-page charge sheet in court.
Dr. Murugesan stated that the Uttarakhand government made necessary efforts to ensure a speedy trial and effective prosecution of the case. As a result of the solid evidence collected by the SIT and the effective prosecution, on May 30, 2025, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kotdwar convicted the three accused, Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta, and sentenced them to life imprisonment. All three are currently in jail and serving their life sentences.
