Uttarakhand Receptionist’s Murder Case

The alleged murder of a 19-year-old receptionist, Ankita Bhandari, in the Vanantara resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri district has sparked massive outrage across the country. The girl went missing on September 18 following which a missing complaint was lodged at a revenue police outpost after the girl was not found in her room by her parents on Monday morning.

On September 23, BJP leader's son Pulkit, Arya and two employees of a resort he owns were arrested for allegedly killing its receptionist. Her body was fished out of a canal on Saturday and the autopsy report said that she died due to drowning and there were findings of injuries on the body before death, suggestive of blunt force trauma.

Ankita was reported to be missing on September 18. According to police sources, she went to Rishikesh that night around 8 o'clock with Pulkit, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and another accused named Ankit, alias Pulkit. While on their way back, the trio stopped to drink alcohol. After some time, a quarrel broke out, the girl accused the three men of carrying out illicit activities at the resort and threatened to go public. In a fit of anger, the three allegedly pushed the girl into the canal. 

Initially, the accused tried to mislead police but they confessed to the crime when they were interrogated sternly. All three of them were presented before the court on Friday and were sent to 14 days of judicial custody. Ankita reportedly told one of her close friends that the owner and managers of the resort where she worked were mounting pressure on her to provide 'special services' to clients. She told her friend on WhatsApp that though she is poor, but she wouldn't sell herself for Rs 10,000.

The Congress staged protests in the district headquarters over safety of women in the state. PCC president Karan Mahra said the girl had gone missing on September 18 and the FIR was lodged four days later. “It shows the state government is not serious in its actions. Women are not safe in Uttarakhand,” Karam Mahra said.

Trying to hold back tears, the girl’s aunt said: “She was a meritorious student who scored 88% in Class 12. She was a disciplined and loving girl.”After schooling, the 19-year-old, who cannot be legally identified, completed a diploma course in hotel management and was tipped off about the vacancy at the resort near Rishikesh. She joined the resort on September 1 and was killed even before seeing her first pay cheque.