By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 12 Dec: Uttarakhand Police today failed to secure judicial orders to conduct Narco Tests on the accused in Ankita Bhandari murder case. Main accused Pulkit Arya and his associates are proving to be hard nuts to crack for the state police. Though the Police was today hoping to get the notices issues for the Narco test in this high-profile case but the accused today sought ten days for the Narco Test. As per the legal provisions under Indian law, narco tests can only be conducted with approval of the accused. Notices were to be issued today in the matter. The accused, namely Pulkit Arya, Ankit and Saurabh however, sought time from the JM Court, Kotdwar, through Pauri Jail Superintendent before the notices could be issued.
The SIT had filed an application in the court on Friday to conduct Narco tests on Ankita’s killers. Hearing in this respect was held today in the Court of the JM. However, during the hearing, the court was informed that the accused had sought ten daysl time for the test. It now remains to be seen if the police manage to secure the orders for the Narco test. Ankita Bhandari’s family as well as the opposition parties have been claiming that they are not satisfied with the Police investigations in the case and that it had also failed to elicit the name of the VIP who was supposed to visit the resort around the time when Ankita Bhandari was thrown into the Chilla Canal by Pulkit Arya and his associates on 18 September. The body of Ankita was recovered on 24 September, several days after the incident and the revenue police officers have been accused of conniving with the accused instead of starting earnest investigations into the case. Finally, the case was transferred to the regular police and the body was recovered on 24 September.
However, there have been allegations against the police that the names of VIPs are not being revealed intentionally. Also, the SIT has so far failed to locate the mobile phone of Ankita as well as Pulkit Arya who is learnt to have been carrying several mobile phones. Various political parties have also raised this matter. In such a situation, the relatives had demanded a Narco test of the accused a few days back.
Considering the demand of the family, the SIT probing the case had applied on Friday for permission to conduct Narco test on the accused. Recently, ADG Law and Order V Murugesan had also said that the SIT had decided to conduct a Narco test to know the name of the VIP.
Meanwhile, ADG Law & Order V Murugesan has also indicated that the SIT might file its first chargesheet in this case by 15 or 16 December but would still continue with investigations into the case and would be filing supplementary chargesheets as and when felt necessary. It may be recalled that the Police was considering filing its first chargesheet over next few days, in order to meet the mandatory requirement of filing a chargesheet within 90 days of registering the FIR. The investigation continues under Section 178 of CrPC Act into the case.
