Stories
Uttarakhand Congress Chief to Protest Dushyant Gautam's Appointment as Sikkim Governor
- •Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal announced a one-hour silent fast in Dehradun to protest Dushyant Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor.
- •Godiyal claims that Gautam is the VIP explicitly named by the parents of Ankita Bhandari in her murder case.
- •The protest aims to express outrage over the appointment, which Congress leaders say deeply wounds the sentiments of Uttarakhand residents.
- •Godiyal also criticized the CBI probe for making no progress and failing to file an FIR against the named accused.
- •The Ankita Bhandari murder case involves the 2022 killing of a 19-year-old resort receptionist, drawing widespread public outcry and demands for a CBI investigation into alleged VIP involvement.
Key Questions Answered
Ganesh Godiyal is holding a one-hour silent fast in Dehradun because Ankita Bhandari's parents explicitly named Dushyant Gautam as the VIP in her alleged murder case. He stated that this appointment deeply hurts the sentiments of the people of Uttarakhand and is highly objectionable.
The Central Bureau of Investigation registered the case through its Special Crime Branch after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a probe on January 9, 2026. While the CBI has taken custody of records like the SIT report and police FIR, Ganesh Godiyal alleged that the investigation has not advanced and no FIR has been filed against the named accused yet.
Ankita Bhandari was a 19-year-old resort receptionist whose body was recovered from a canal in September 2022 after she was allegedly pressured to provide sexual favours at a resort run by Pulkit Arya. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankita Gupta have already been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder.
