The silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and self-styled Hindu organisations over the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case has come under sharp scrutiny after the name of BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam surfaced in connection with the case. Raising pointed questions, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said that while the Uttarakhand Police never disclosed which VIP guest Ankita was allegedly pressured to provide special service to, the disclosure by the wife of a former BJP MLA has now put the spotlight on a senior BJP functionary.
Saurabh Bharadwaj asked why the BJP government is still unwilling to order a thorough probe, and said that those who brandish sticks in the name of religion must also find the courage to speak up for justice for Hindu daughter Ankita Bhandari.
On Friday, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “We all remember the Ankita Bhandari case. Ankita was a bright daughter from a village in Pauri Garhwal. She scored 88% in Class 12 and secured admission in a hotel management course. Due to Covid-related delays and because her father could not arrange the fee of ₹45,000, she was forced to drop out of the course.”
The AAP Delhi Unit Chief said that circumstances pushed Ankita to take up a job at a resort owned by Pulkit Arya, the son of a former BJP minister. “Barely 20 days into the job, Ankita discovered that girls were being forced into prostitution under the pretext of ‘extra service’. She was pressurised to provide ‘special service’ to a so-called VIP guest. This is not just a verbal claim; evidence exists to support this,” he said.
Explaining the material available on record, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “WhatsApp chats recovered from Ankita Bhandari’s phone show that she was repeatedly telling her acquaintances how Pulkit Arya, Ankit and Saurabh together were pressurising her to provide extra service to a VIP guest. Ankita was resisting this demand. When she refused, force was used against her. There is also apprehension that she was subjected to gang rape, although the post-mortem could not conclusively establish this.”
He said that after this, Ankita was brutally assaulted and murdered, and her body was thrown into a canal with the assumption that it would be washed away. “Instead, her body got stuck at the canal gate and was recovered four days later. What is deeply disturbing is that, in the presence of local BJP MLA Renu Bisht, a large portion of the resort was demolished using a bulldozer and set on fire to destroy evidence. Ankita Bhandari’s room and crucial evidence were wiped out,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.
The AAP leader pointed out that in chats available in public records, Ankita had mentioned that a guest had tried to hug her, but the name of that guest was concealed. “Now a major revelation has come to light. The wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, Urmila, has released a video on social media making serious claims. She has stated that the ‘VIP guest’ for whom special service was being demanded was none other than BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj said the central question of the entire case was the identity of the VIP guest for whom Ankita was being forced into a physical relationship. “During the investigation, the police removed the name of the VIP guest. From Pulkit Arya’s phone and witness testimonies, it would have been easy to establish who this person was. A talented young woman was killed to satisfy someone’s lust, and yet the truth was buried,” he said.
Raising sharp questions, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “When a woman associated with the BJP herself is revealing this name, should this not be investigated? Should it not be verified where Dushyant Gautam was during the days of the incident? Was he in Uttarakhand at that time? If he was not, then who was the VIP guest? Why is the BJP government hiding this truth? Why was the resort demolished to destroy evidence?”
Concluding, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “If we cannot stand up for our daughters, then this society is already dead. Those who take to the streets with sticks in the name of religion over trivial issues should remember that Ankita Bhandari was also a Hindu daughter. It is a matter of deep shame that her family is still struggling for justice. We must raise our voice firmly and unequivocally for our daughter Ankita.”
