New Delhi, Oct 14 Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the parents of Ankita Bhandari, who were protesting at India Gate demanding justice for their daughter, and expressed solidarity with them.
Bhandari, who was an employee at a resort in Uttarakhand, was murdered in September 2022.
Bhandari’s parents staged a protest near India Gate, demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as the Sikkim governor be put on hold until the ongoing CBI probe into their daughter’s murder case is complete.
Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Congress leaders.
Later, in a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP and said that for four years, Bhandari’s family has not received justice, but “a ‘VIP’ accused has certainly been rewarded with protection and a constitutional position”.
Bhandari’s parents have alleged BJP leader Gautam’s involvement in the case. Gautam was appointed the governor of Sikkim on Monday.
“Where rapists and murderers are welcomed with garlands and criminals are honoured with the power of authority – no hope can be expected from such a misogynistic BJP either.
“Today, Ankita’s parents, carrying the plea for justice for their daughter, are sitting at India Gate, miles away from their home. I and the Congress Party stand with them – in their grief as well as in this fight for justice,” Gandhi said in his post.
The former Congress chief had earlier met Bhandari’s parents in August and said four years have passed and they are still awaiting justice for an unforgivable crime against their daughter.
Bhandari, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022.
Her body was found from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two of his accomplices have been convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case hogged the political spotlight over allegations that an unidentified VIP was linked to the crime. Bhandari’s family and activists have demanded an investigation into the alleged VIP angle.
The high-profile murder case had triggered widespread protests across Uttarakhand.
(PTI News)
