Dehradun, Oct 17 The CBI on Saturday questioned former MLA Suresh Rathore in Haridwar, a day after officials of the agency met the parents of Ankita Bhandari in connection with her death in 2022.
The questioning lasted for about three hours at the Shivalik Guest House in Haridwar.
Rathore, a former MLA from the Jwalapur constituency, told the media later that he had cooperated with the investigation and would continue to do so.
“I told the truth to the CBI officials in connection with the investigation,” Rathore said.
When asked about the meeting between Ankita’s parents and senior CBI officials in Delhi, Rathore said, “I do not wish to comment on that. The case is in the hands of the CBI. They will conduct an investigation and bring the truth to light. I have shared everything I know with the CBI officials.”
When asked about actress Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be his wife and whose allegations created a furore regarding the alleged role of a “VIP” in the case, Rathore said he did not know who she was.
Rathore, who has been expelled from the BJP, said he did not wish to make any further comments on the matter.
On Friday, Ankita’s father, Virendra Singh, and mother, Soni Devi, met with senior officials of the investigative agency in Delhi who assured them of a fair and impartial investigation that will examine all aspects of the case thoroughly.
The case became the subject of a controversy again recently after the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor, triggering protests from opposition leaders in Uttarakhand and in Delhi. Gautam has previously served as the BJP’s state in-charge for Uttarakhand.
Ankita’s parents held a sit-in protest at India Gate on Wednesday demanding the withdrawal of Gautam’s appointment as governor till the CBI concludes its probe.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met them to express solidarity. Ankita’s parents and several Congress leaders were detained over the protest and later released.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was killed on September 18, 2022. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The controversy surrounding the alleged involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the murder case intensified after an audio clip purportedly of a conversation between Rathore and Sanawar began circulating on social media last December.
Following persistent protests by various organisations, including the Congress, and demands for a CBI inquiry, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with Ankita’s parents this January and recommended a CBI investigation into the case.
(PTI News)
