Ankita Bhandari murder case: SIT questions revenue officers, employees of Pauri district

As the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case intensified with new revelations, P Renuka, in charge of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday said that all the officers and employees of Revenue Police in Pauri district of Uttarakhand are being questioned in the ongoing case.

"Now the SIT is also interrogating all the revenue officers and employees of Revenue Police area, Patti Udaipur under Yamkeshwar, in Pauri district," Renuka told ANI.

Vanatara Resort of the main accused Pulkit Arya comes under the Yamkeshwar Tehsil.

The SIT is also interrogating Patwari Vaibhav and his car details, as he went on leave after receiving the news of Ankita's disappearance.

19-year-old Ankita was missing for at least six days before the Uttarakhand administration recovered her body from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24.

Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, was arrested in the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. Besides Pulkit Arya, two more people were arrested in the case.

The SIT probing the murder case has also filed a petition in the Kotdwar court on Thursday seeking police remand of the three accused, including the main accused Pulkit Arya and assured that a detailed interrogation will be conducted with all the accused persons after getting the remand.

All the lawyers of Kotdwar have refused to fight the case of the accused and the Kotdwar Bar Association President Ajay Kumar Pant has said that if any lawyer even from outside comes to defend the accused, the Bar Association will oppose it.

Due to the aforesaid decision of the lawyers, there was no hearing on the bail of the accused on Wednesday. Notably, the judicial custody of the accused is ending on October 6.

The Ankita Bhandari murder case has sparked a massive outrage and protests were reported from various parts of the state. Angry locals even set on fire the resort where Ankita worked. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami then ordered officials to ensure law and order in the state.

Ankita used to work as a receptionist at the Vanatara resort owned by Pulkit Arya in Rishikesh.

Authorities had demolished parts of the resort, saying the structures were illegally constructed. But this action had raised fears that crucial evidence relating to the case may have been compromised.

The police, however, assured that a forensic team had collected evidence before the demolition.

(ANI)

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