Stories
Ankita Bhandari Murder: Why Parents Are Protesting New Sikkim Governor
- •The parents of Ankita Bhandari staged a protest at India Gate in Delhi demanding justice and opposing the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the governor of Sikkim.
- •Ankita Bhandari was murdered in 2022 while working as a receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand, a case for which three men were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025.
- •The victim's parents allege that Dushyant Kumar Gautam is the unnamed VIP involved in pressuring their daughter, a claim that Gautam has strongly denied while initiating defamation proceedings.
- •Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra joined the overnight protest at India Gate to express solidarity with the grieving family.
- •Delhi Police briefly detained the parents and several opposition leaders during the early morning hours before releasing them an hour later.
Key Questions Answered
Ankita Bhandari's parents are protesting the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim because they allege he is the 'VIP' linked to their daughter's 2022 murder. They have appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to withhold his appointment until the CBI investigation into the alleged VIP angle is concluded.
In May 2025, a court in Pauri Garhwal convicted resort owner Pulkit Arya along with his two employees, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, sentencing all three to life imprisonment for the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari.
Ankita Bhandari's parents staged an overnight protest at India Gate in Delhi demanding justice, where they were joined by opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra. The Delhi Police subsequently detained the parents and several Congress leaders before releasing them an hour later.
