Suresh Rathore absent, Urmila Sanawar in jail
By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Oct: The situation remained unclear today regarding the proposed narco tests linked to claims about an alleged VIP in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Former MLA Suresh Rathore and actress Urmila Sanawar were scheduled to appear before the CBI court to reconsider their earlier consent for the tests, but the hearing could not proceed as neither appeared before the court. The matter will now be taken up on the next date of hearing.
The CBI is seeking to move forward with the narco test process as part of its efforts to ascertain the veracity of claims concerning the alleged VIP angle in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Rathore and Sanawar had earlier expressed their willingness to undergo narco tests. However, the court subsequently directed both of them to appear and reconsider their consent before the process could proceed further.
During the hearing today, Rathore did not appear before the court. He reportedly sent a letter informing the court that he was unable to attend due to ill health. At the same time, Sanawar is currently lodged in jail after being arrested by Haridwar Police yesterday in connection with an alleged extortion case, making her appearance before the court impossible.
Sanawar had been scheduled to appear before the CBI court today in connection with matters arising out of the Ankita Bhandari case. Prior to this, she has been questioned by the CBI. However, before the proposed court appearance, she became embroiled in an alleged extortion case, leading to her arrest and subsequent remand to jail. The development has altered the circumstances surrounding her proposed appearance before the CBI court.
It may be recalled that Sanawar is the same woman whose name had surfaced in connection with the circulation of audio clips allegedly linked to the purported VIP angle in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The court proceedings concerning the narco tests are being viewed as significant amid ongoing scrutiny of those audio recordings and the claims associated with them.
The CBI court is now expected to send a fresh communication to the jail administration regarding Sanawar’s production and the next date of hearing. It is likely to become clear only during the next hearing whether Rathore and Sanawar continue to stand by their earlier consent for the proposed narco tests.
Meanwhile, Sanawar’s arrest has once again brought several cases registered against her into focus. A total of five FIRs have been lodged against her at different police stations in Haridwar over the past two years. She had earlier managed to avoid arrest in four of the cases but was eventually taken into custody in the fifth.
In 2024, Rathore had lodged an extortion case against Sanawar at Jwalapur Kotwali. Sanawar had posted videos on social media in which she claimed Rathore was her husband. In March 2025, Rathore’s daughter registered a complaint at Ranipur Kotwali alleging blackmail. According to the complaint, objectionable photographs were sent and money was demanded while attempts were made to harm the family’s reputation. In December 2025, separate FIRs were registered at Bahadrabad and Jhabreda police stations in connection with the viral audio controversy. Another FIR was registered at Ranipur Kotwali on the allegations of demanding ransom.
To investigate all these cases together, a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on 29 December, 2025. Responsibility for the probe was entrusted to a senior police officer. On 8 January, 2026, Sanawar had appeared before the SIT in Haridwar, where she was questioned for five to six hours. Rathore was also questioned during the course of the investigation. He had approached the High Court seeking protection from arrest. According to the police, cases linked to Sanawar have been registered not only in Haridwar but also in Dehradun and Saharanpur.
