No Closure: Ankita Bhandari’s Family Seeks SC Monitored CBI Probe

Months after the verdict the Ankita Bhandari murder case her family has renewed its demand for a CBI investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, saying justice remains incomplete as a key “VIP” named in the case was allegedly let off.

Speaking to Outlook, Ankita’s mother said the family placed its demands during a recent meeting with the Uttarakhand Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, stressing that the call for a CBI probe was not just theirs but reflected public sentiment as well.

“How were we supposed to feel satisfied?” Soni Devi, Bhandari’s mother asked. She said the VIP was never caught and that crucial aspects of the case had been ignored. Now that these details were coming out in the open, she added, the family wanted a fresh investigation.

The Ankita Bhandari case returned to the spotlight following allegations made by Urmila Sanawar, a woman who claims to be the second wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore.

Sanawar last month released a video clip which she said included a conversation with Rathore, in which he allegedly identified a “VIP” present at the Vanantara resort on September 18, 2022, the day the 19-year-old receptionist was killed.

In a subsequent video, Sanawar named senior BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the alleged “VIP”, who has now filed a defamation case against Sanawar and many others making such claims , including the Congress.

The release of the clip and the accompanying claims triggered a major political controversy in Uttarakhand, sparking protests and renewed demands for a CBI inquiry into the case.

“I will continue to fight"

In the aftermath of the controversy, Chief Minister Dhami met the Bhandari family on January 7, a meeting the family said was arranged in haste. According to Ankita’s mother, the chief minister assured them that their demand for a CBI probe would be considered seriously.

She also spoke about the backlash she faced after the meeting, from people who were upset with the family for meeting the chief minister.

“They kept asking why we went there,”she said. “Ankita was a piece of my heart, I would do anything it takes to get her justice.”

“I raised her, nurtured her. And today, look at the condition of our home,” she said, breaking down.

Soni Devi said she would not be deterred by public sentiment. Her fight, she stressed, was not just about her daughter, but about ensuring the safety of other young women.

“My daughter will never come back,” she said. “But I am fighting so that other girls who step out to study or work don’t have to lose their lives. I am fighting for my daughter’s dignity.”

“Protected her dignity like a soldier”

Shortly after the meeting, Dhami announced that the Government Nursing College in Dobh (Shri Kot), Pauri, would be renamed as Late Ankita Bhandari Government Nursing College Dobh. The gesture, Ankita’s mother said, would help keep her daughter’s memory alive.

“My daughter protected her dignity like a soldier,” she told Outlook over a phone call. Just as a soldier protects the country at the cost of his life, she said, Ankita protected her self-respect in the same way.

“She will not come back,” she added. “But if a nursing college is built in her name, at least her memories will remain with me.”

Calling the struggle larger than her own family, Ankita’s mother said the fight now represents the aspirations of countless young women.

“This fight is no longer just for our home,” she said. “It is for our daughters—for the dreams she left behind. When those dreams are fulfilled, only then will I feel my daughter is with me.”

The message Ankita left behind, her mother said, was clear. She may have lost her life, but she did not lose her dignity.

“She gave up her life, but she did not compromise on her dignity,” she said. “I will keep fighting her fight until we get justice.”