By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 1 Jan: Police authorities in Dehradun and Haridwar have intensified action against Urmila Sanwar, who has recently come into sharp focus following claims linked to the Ankita Bhandari murder case. In this regard, cases have been registered against her in both districts and an official notice has been pasted at her residence in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The notice directs Sanawar to appear before the Police as part of the investigation. Significantly, despite making some claims and naming a senior BJP leader as the VIP being speculated about, she has made herself inaccessible for the Police and has gone on to even claim that Police wish to harm her.
It may be reminded here that the Police have taken similar action and registered cases against former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore. A similar notice has been pasted at the house of Rathore in Haridwar, asking him to appear before the Police and cooperate in the investigations. Even Rathore has so far failed to comply.
Urmila Sanawar is stated to be an actor and claims to be the second wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, an assertion that Rathore has been denying. Both of them have been trading charges and allegations against each other for some time as a result of a bitter personal dispute between them. However, one social media post by Urmila Sanawar went suddenly viral last month in which she claims to be aware of the VIP allegedly involved in the Ankita Bhandari case. It may be recalled that Ankita had been murdered on 18 September 2022 and her body was recovered from Chilla Canal near Rishikesh, six days later. Since then, the owner of the resort where she worked, Pulkit Arya, and his two employees have been arrested for the murder and have been convicted and awarded life sentence by the court. The judgement has been challenged by Arya and his associates.
Sanwar, currently residing in Saharanpur district, had further escalated the issue by releasing an audio clip purportedly of a conversation with Rathore in which the Ankita Bhandari murder case was discussed, and by naming in her videos a “VIP” whose alleged involvement has been the subject of speculation since the case first came to light. However, it must be pointed here that that several names have been speculated upon as the VIP in question in the case ever since the murder and, over time, names have kept changing.
At the same time, these claims have revived political tensions in Uttarakhand, leading Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal to address a press conference in Delhi and accuse the BJP government of shielding influential figures, while the BJP has strongly dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. In the wake of the viral videos, BJP leader Aarti Gaur lodged a complaint in Dehradun against both Sanwar and Rathore and a separate case was filed in Haridwar by Dharmendra Kumar, President of the Shiromani Guru Ravidas Mahapith, who alleged that the public feud was offensive to community sentiments and religious dignity.
As neither Sanawar nor Rathore have so far responded to the repeated summons, Haridwar police travelled to Saharanpur to serve the notice at Sanwar’s residence, directing both Rathore and Sanawar to appear and record their statements. Haridwar SSP Pramendra Dobhal has reiterated that the police have made sustained efforts to trace them at their known addresses. He has also warned that coercive measures would be considered if they continue to evade the process, particularly in view of the seriousness of the matter.
At the same time, Dehradun police have also begun scrutinising Sanwar’s background to ascertain whether any previous criminal cases are registered against her and to assess the authenticity of the allegations being circulated. In fact, the state police have issued an appeal to the people to record and submit any evidence in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and in respect of the allegations they are making so that the investigation can be carried to its logical end. The developments come at a time when the Ankita Bhandari murder case, which shook Uttarakhand in 2022, remains under close public and judicial scrutiny, with the trial against the accused progressing and political sensitivities still running high. This has prompted the police and the state administration to emphasise that no person, irrespective of status, will be spared if found attempting to mislead investigations or disturb public order.
