Ex-BJP leader's son, 2 others convicted for killing Uttarakhand hotel receptionist
An Uttarakhand court on Friday convicted Pulkit Arya, the son of a former BJP leader, and two others — Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta — for the 2022 murder of 19-year-old receptionist Ankita Bhandari.The Additional District and Sessions Court in Kotdwar held all three accused guilty of killing Ankita, who worked at the Vanantara Resort owned by Pulkit Arya in the Yamkeshwar area of Pauri district.advertisementAnkita had gone missing on September 18, 2022. Days later, her body was recovered from the Chilla canal, and the incident rapidly turned into a national flashpoint over women's safety, political influence, and justice delivery. Allegations of a botched early investigation and political shielding further inflamed public anger.A Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a 500-page chargesheet, naming 97 witnesses, 47 of whom were deposed during the trial that began on March 28, 2023.Pulkit Arya and two other accused were charged under Bharat Naya Sanhita sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 354A (sexual harassment), and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Later, Gangster Act was also invoked against the three accused.Pulkit Arya, the son of now-suspended BJP leader Vinod Arya, is accused of pressuring Ankita Bhandari to provide 'special service' to clients at the resort.Hours ahead of the court's verdict, Ankita's mother urged the judiciary to sentence all the three accused to death. "May the criminals be sentenced to death...I appeal to the public of Uttarakhand to keep on supporting us and come to the Kotdwar court to boost our morale," she said while speaking to news agency ANI.Trending Reel
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