By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 30 May: The Kotdwar Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced Pulkit Arya, Ankit Gupta, and Saurabh Bhaskar to life imprisonment in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, three years after the 19-year-old receptionist was found dead near a resort in Pauri district. While this might not have been possible, perhaps, if the Uttarakhand Police as well as the Pushkar Singh Dhami Government had not clearly ensured a fair investigation and strong pleading of the case in the court, Congress continues to play politics and has described the development as incomplete justice. The case, which had attracted widespread public attention due to the brutality of the crime and the political background of the main accused, has now concluded in the courtroom. However, the political contest over its handling continues even after the sentencing.
From the beginning, the case was subject to political scrutiny. The main accused, Pulkit Arya, is the son of a former BJP leader, which led the opposition, particularly the Congress, to accuse the Uttarakhand government of shielding the culprits. Despite the fact that all three accused were arrested within 24 hours of the FIR being filed and sent to jail promptly, Congress repeatedly raised demands for a CBI probe and questioned the credibility of the state police. In fact, even the High Court and the Supreme Court were approached demanding a CBI inquiry into the case, but the demand was dismissed and the court had in clear terms expressed satisfaction with the police investigation.
Commenting on the judgement, the then DGP Abhinav Kumar has stated that everyone associated with the investigation, prosecution and supervision of the case did a fantastic job in ensuring justice.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government had directed constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), registering the case under the Gangster Act, which did a good job and eventually submitted a 500-page chargesheet based on statements from 97 witnesses, ensuring life imprisonment to all the three accused. The BJP on its part had without any undue delay often seen in such cases, sacked the father of the main accused Pulkit Arya and a senior BJP leader from the BJP. Very significantly, those playing politics in the case are ignoring the fact that the Dhami Government allowed three changes of public prosecutors at the request of the victim’s family, which in itself is very unusual. This eventually led to the appointment of a prosecution team that presented a strong case in court. Another significant development was that the accused remained behind bars throughout the trial due to consistently successful opposition to their bail applications. The defendants had hired leading lawyers to plead their cases and bail applications.
It has been 3 years since the murder of Ankita Bhandari and in this period, the Dhami Government continued to face allegations that it was trying to shield the accused. The Congress leaders as well as many independent persons openly expressed apprehensions that the accused would finally be let free but the government in pursuance of CM Dhami’s promise to deliver justice remained firm in ensuring a fair investigation and collection of enough evidence and strong pleading of the case in the court on behalf of the prosecution and, finally, the justice prevailed with sentencing of the accused. In addition, a government job was also offered to Ankita’s brother by the government.
The victim’s family as well as the Congress leaders and other voices demanded the death sentence in the case but that happens only in the rarest of rare cases. A large number of candle marches were also held across the state demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari and this had its positive effect, too, as it kept the investigating team on it toes.
Despite these procedural steps and the final sentencing, senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, have continued to allege political interference. Rawat stated that justice was “incomplete”, suggesting that a “VIP” figure had escaped legal scrutiny. No such individual was named in the court proceedings or formally identified during the investigation, but Congress has consistently alluded to the involvement of an unnamed high-profile person.
Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni and Mahila Congress president Jyoti Rautela also echoed this sentiment, criticising the state government for allegedly failing to act against those who may have tampered with evidence. Both reiterated that the verdict, although a conviction, did not meet public expectations, with several Congress leaders expressing disappointment over the absence of a death sentence.
Political observers note that these continued statements reflect Congress’s attempt to keep the case alive in the public sphere, especially as Uttarakhand heads toward future electoral cycles. The case has been a prominent point in the party’s criticism of the BJP led government and is likely to remain part of its narrative going forward.
The court judgment concludes the legal chapter unless, of course, the judgement is challenged by the accused in the district court or the High Court, however the political discourse around the Ankita Bhandari case appears far from settled. For the Congress, the case remains a symbol of its broader critique of the BJP’s governance. On its part, the BJP will also not shy away from taking credit for sentencing of the accused in the case. In the case of the BJP, the sentencing is being projected as evidence that the government did not shield anyone and allowed the law to take its course.
The conviction of the accused has concluded the judicial aspect, but the political usage of the case by opposition parties, particularly the Congress, is likely to continue in the near term.
