News Analysis India

Tag: Ankita Bhandari murder

  • Ankita Bhandari murder case: Public prosecutor recuses himself after protest by family

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: The public prosecutor in the case relating to the murder of Vantara resort receptionist Ankita Bhandari has recused himself from it. Ankita’s family, who had threatened to set themselves on fire and stage a sit-in demanding the removal of the public prosecutor, have now postponed their protest.

    “Ankita’s family postponed their proposed sit-in protest on July 17 after the government lawyer withdrew from the case,” Pauri District Magistrate Dr Ashish Chauhan told reporters. Ankita’s family had on June 1 demanded that the district administration remove the government lawyer from the case.

    Public prosecutor Jitendra Rawat has sent a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressing his desire to withdraw from the case.

    On Saturday, Chauhan met Ankita’s mother Soni Devi and father Virendra Bhandari and told them that the government lawyer had decided to drop the case on his own. Soni Devi has also demanded that the government name the nursing college in Pauri after Ankita.

    DM Dr Ashish Chauhan said, “We have sent the report to the office of the law secretary from where a decision on the appointment of a new lawyer will be taken.”

    DEHRADUN: The public prosecutor in the case relating to the murder of Vantara resort receptionist Ankita Bhandari has recused himself from it. Ankita’s family, who had threatened to set themselves on fire and stage a sit-in demanding the removal of the public prosecutor, have now postponed their protest.

    “Ankita’s family postponed their proposed sit-in protest on July 17 after the government lawyer withdrew from the case,” Pauri District Magistrate Dr Ashish Chauhan told reporters. Ankita’s family had on June 1 demanded that the district administration remove the government lawyer from the case.

    Public prosecutor Jitendra Rawat has sent a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressing his desire to withdraw from the case.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On Saturday, Chauhan met Ankita’s mother Soni Devi and father Virendra Bhandari and told them that the government lawyer had decided to drop the case on his own. Soni Devi has also demanded that the government name the nursing college in Pauri after Ankita.

    DM Dr Ashish Chauhan said, “We have sent the report to the office of the law secretary from where a decision on the appointment of a new lawyer will be taken.”

  • Uttarakhand: Fire at factory located on premises of resort linked to Ankita’s murder

    By PTI

    RISHIKESH/DEHRADUN: A fire broke out on Sunday in an gooseberry candy factory located on the premises of a resort linked to the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh.

    The incident took place at 10 am in the Yamkeshwar area of Pauri district, officials said.

    No casualties have been reported till now.

    An official said prima facie the accident took place due to overheating of an inverter installed in the factory.

    On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Jot Singh Bisht termed the factory fire as another “conspiracy to destroy evidence” of the murder.

    “A conspiracy was hatched to hide the evidence by first destroying Vanantra Resort, the site of Ankita’s murder, with a bulldozer and today the factory located in it was set ablaze. The task of saving the accused was completed today,” he alleged.

    Ankita (19), who worked as a receptionist at the resort, was allegedly pushed to death by resort operator Pulkit Arya along with his two employees in the Chila canal near Rishikesh.

    The three accused were immediately arrested.

    Angry local people took to the streets after learning that Vinod Arya, the main accused’s father, was associated with the ruling BJP, following which the government had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the matter.

    The BJP had also expelled Vinod Arya.

    RISHIKESH/DEHRADUN: A fire broke out on Sunday in an gooseberry candy factory located on the premises of a resort linked to the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh.

    The incident took place at 10 am in the Yamkeshwar area of Pauri district, officials said.

    No casualties have been reported till now.

    An official said prima facie the accident took place due to overheating of an inverter installed in the factory.

    On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Jot Singh Bisht termed the factory fire as another “conspiracy to destroy evidence” of the murder.

    “A conspiracy was hatched to hide the evidence by first destroying Vanantra Resort, the site of Ankita’s murder, with a bulldozer and today the factory located in it was set ablaze. The task of saving the accused was completed today,” he alleged.

    Ankita (19), who worked as a receptionist at the resort, was allegedly pushed to death by resort operator Pulkit Arya along with his two employees in the Chila canal near Rishikesh.

    The three accused were immediately arrested.

    Angry local people took to the streets after learning that Vinod Arya, the main accused’s father, was associated with the ruling BJP, following which the government had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the matter.

    The BJP had also expelled Vinod Arya.

  • Under fire, government hands over rural security to civil cops

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state’s chief minister, has announced that the revenue police will no longer be in charge of maintaining law and order in the state’s 1,500 villages. The revenue police have been at the centre of a scandal over how they handled the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The government’s decision follows widespread protest over Ankita’s death, during which the revenue police’s shortcomings were exposed.

    Relatives of the 19-year-old receptionist allegedly murdered by a BJP leader’s son cremated her on Sunday. Ankita had been missing since September 18, but after much uproar, her abductors and murderers were found and arrested five days later. After their arrest on September 23, the three suspects—Pulkit Arya, Saurabh, and manager Ankit—admitted to their crime. All of this was the consequence of the revenue police’s mistakes, for which the area’s revenue officer was suspended. 

    Although she had been missing for five days, the police didn’t start looking for her until the girl’s relatives reported her missing and expressed concern for her safety. Even though accusations against the resort owner and other suspects had been made far earlier, it took police five days to act and arrest them. In total, the state has 16793 villages, and more than half of them are concentrated in just four districts: Almora, Chamoli, Garhwal, and Tehri Garhwal. 

    The revenue patwari police have been in charge of maintaining law and order in these villages since the British rule. However, there are 405 villages with a population of fewer than 10 persons and 1053 settlements that are empty. In order to reduce costs, the British administration established the Patwari police system in 1861. Revenue officers are given the same privileges and responsibilities as police officers.

    Only in Uttarakhand have tax collection personnel been given responsibility for maintaining law and order in the state’s hilly regions. The Supreme Court emphasised the necessity for regular police to replace the system in 2010, but nothing came of it. Despite claims, no activity is evident on the ground despite the hilly areas’ residents’ repeated calls for regular policing against this system. 

    Ironically, no government has expressed a desire to change the framework that controls policing in over half of the state. There is a widespread belief and widespread observation that people frequently do not take revenue policeman seriously. Additionally, the required uniform is not worn by revenue police. 

    DEHRADUN:  Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state’s chief minister, has announced that the revenue police will no longer be in charge of maintaining law and order in the state’s 1,500 villages. The revenue police have been at the centre of a scandal over how they handled the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The government’s decision follows widespread protest over Ankita’s death, during which the revenue police’s shortcomings were exposed.

    Relatives of the 19-year-old receptionist allegedly murdered by a BJP leader’s son cremated her on Sunday. Ankita had been missing since September 18, but after much uproar, her abductors and murderers were found and arrested five days later. After their arrest on September 23, the three suspects—Pulkit Arya, Saurabh, and manager Ankit—admitted to their crime. All of this was the consequence of the revenue police’s mistakes, for which the area’s revenue officer was suspended. 

    Although she had been missing for five days, the police didn’t start looking for her until the girl’s relatives reported her missing and expressed concern for her safety. Even though accusations against the resort owner and other suspects had been made far earlier, it took police five days to act and arrest them. In total, the state has 16793 villages, and more than half of them are concentrated in just four districts: Almora, Chamoli, Garhwal, and Tehri Garhwal. 

    The revenue patwari police have been in charge of maintaining law and order in these villages since the British rule. However, there are 405 villages with a population of fewer than 10 persons and 1053 settlements that are empty. In order to reduce costs, the British administration established the Patwari police system in 1861. Revenue officers are given the same privileges and responsibilities as police officers.

    Only in Uttarakhand have tax collection personnel been given responsibility for maintaining law and order in the state’s hilly regions. The Supreme Court emphasised the necessity for regular police to replace the system in 2010, but nothing came of it. Despite claims, no activity is evident on the ground despite the hilly areas’ residents’ repeated calls for regular policing against this system. 

    Ironically, no government has expressed a desire to change the framework that controls policing in over half of the state. There is a widespread belief and widespread observation that people frequently do not take revenue policeman seriously. Additionally, the required uniform is not worn by revenue police.