Rahul Gandhi Urges Prez Murmu To Reconsider Dushyant Gautam’s Appointment As Sikkim Governor

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged President Droupadi Murmu to ask the government to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, citing the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand.

In an open letter to the President, Gandhi said he was “shocked” by Gautam’s appointment while the investigation into the identity of the alleged VIPs linked to the case was still under way. He requested that Gautam not take office until the CBI had completed its investigation.

Bhandari, 19, worked as a receptionist at the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh. She was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her employer, Pulkit Arya, the son of a BJP leader, and two of his employees were convicted in the case and are serving life sentences.

Gandhi said one question remained unanswered four years after the murder, the identity of the VIPs allegedly linked to the case.

In January this year, following protests across Uttarakhand, the state government handed the investigation into the question of the VIPs to the CBI. Gandhi said the investigation was still under way and proceeding slowly. “Many people, including Ankita’s family, allege that Mr. Gautam is linked with this crime,” he wrote, referring to the ongoing inquiry.

Gandhi argued that the appointment of a Governor while the investigation remained incomplete raised concerns about the possibility of criminal proceedings against him.

“The Governor is the Constitutional head of a state government, just as you are the Constitutional head of the Government of India. While he holds office, no criminal proceedings can be instituted or continued against him,” Gandhi wrote.

He added that an inquiry which could not result in prosecution would be “an inquiry in name only”. Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his advice to appoint Gautam showed disregard for women's safety.

Acknowledging that Governors are appointed on the advice of the Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister, Gandhi appealed to Murmu to exercise her constitutional powers.

“By long convention, the President has the right to warn the government, and Article 74(1) gives you the power to ask for advice to be reconsidered,” he wrote.

Gandhi also referred to the protests by Bhandari’s parents against Gautam’s appointment, alleging that they had been detained by the police while seeking justice for their daughter.

He urged the President to intervene, saying the family’s hope for justice should not be allowed to fade. “Please act — provide solace to Ankita’s grieving parents and protect the high post of Governor,” he wrote.