A lower court in Uttarakhand on Friday found Pulkit Arya and two of his staff members guilty in the high-profile 2022 murder of 19-year-old receptionist Ankita Bhandari. The Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar delivered the verdict after final arguments on May 19 between the defence and the prosecution.
Vanantara Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of ousted BJP leader Vinod Arya, has been convicted, along with resort employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. The court found all three accused guilty of murdering Ankita Bhandari on the evening of September 18, 2022.
Dispute Led to Murder of Ankita Bhandari, Says Prosecution
The prosecution claimed that Ankita and Pulkit Arya fought, following which Arya and his two staff members threw her into the canal. Her body was found six days later, on September 24, at the Chilla canal in Rishikesh. All three accused were arrested the moment her body was recovered and taken to jail.
“Pulkit Arya and his two staff members shoved her into a canal,” said the prosecution at the trial.
The first hearing of the case was held on January 30, 2023. After a long investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), a 500-page chargesheet was filed in the court.
Court Depended on 47 Witnesses During the Trial
Following the filing of charges, the prosecution opened the case on March 28, 2023. During the trial, 47 witnesses, including the primary investigator, testified in court, establishing a robust case against the three defendants.
This case received national attention because of its sensitivity and the political status of the main accused. The conviction has been viewed as a major leap toward justice for Ankita Bhandari. It also sends a message on accountability, irrespective of influence or status.
The sentencing of the convicts is likely to follow shortly in the same court.
