Dehradun: Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar on Friday in Uttarakhand convicted three accused in the murder case of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari in 2022. The quantum of punishment against the three accused, Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, will be pronounced later in the day.
Notably, Arya is the owner of the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh, while Bhaskar and Gupta are his employees. The verdict was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi.
The case is dated back to September 2022. Bhandari's body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh. She worked as a receptionist at Arya's resort. Arya is the son of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Arya.
Bhandari's body was found six days after she went missing. The resort owner was arrested for allegedly pushing Bhandari into the canal after an altercation.
The hearing of the case lasted for two years and eight months. According to IANS, during the hearing, 47 witnesses, including the Investigation Officer, were presented by the prosecution advocate Anuj Pundir.
After Bhandari's death, the residents of Pauri district staged a protest demanding stricta action against Arya and two other accused. The Uttarakhand government formed a SIT to probe the matter and take the case to its logical conclusion.
