Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday strongly criticised the Central government after the parents of Ankita Bhandari were detained during their protest near India Gate in New Delhi. The family was demanding that the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim be kept on hold until the ongoing CBI investigation into the case is completed. According to reports, the parents were taken into custody in the early hours of Thursday and released a few hours later. Gandhi alleged that the action reflected an attempt to suppress the voices of those seeking justice.

Rahul Gandhi said he and Priyanka Gandhi had met Ankita Bhandari’s parents a day earlier to express support for their demand. He questioned why the gubernatorial appointment was made before the CBI investigation had concluded and accused the government of ignoring the concerns of the victim’s family. In a post on social media, Gandhi stated that justice cannot be denied by silencing victims and assured that the Congress party would continue to stand with Ankita’s family until they receive justice. Meanwhile, Ankita’s father issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre, warning that nationwide protests would be launched if their demand was not accepted.

Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was murdered in September 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days after she went missing. The resort owner, Pulkit Arya, along with two associates, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case. However, the controversy surrounding an alleged “VIP angle” has continued, with Ankita’s family claiming that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s name surfaced during the investigation. Gautam has denied all allegations and initiated defamation proceedings, while the Congress has argued that appointing him as Governor before the investigation concludes could undermine public confidence in the justice process.