Ankita Bhandari murder: Audio clip fuels new outrage; CM Dhami commits to meet victim's parents - 'She was our daughter'

• Uttarakhand CM Dhami to meet Ankita Bhandari's parents amid renewed protests
• Public calls for CBI probe after audio clip surfaces in Ankita Bhandari murder case
• Three men, including Pulkit Arya, get life sentences for Bhandari's murder.

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Amid renewed public protests and demands for a federal investigation, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Tuesday that he would personally meet the parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old receptionist whose 2022 murder continues to galvanise the state.

“As the chief servant of the state, I will speak with her parents. After that, we will take forward whatever they desire for their daughter’s justice in a manner consistent with the law,” Dhami stated at a press conference.

His commitment follows a fresh wave of demonstrations across Uttarakhand, with protestors demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case. The chief minister asserted his government’s readiness for any scrutiny.

“The government will not back down from any kind of investigation. Ankita Bhandari is our daughter and her justice has been given the highest priority,” he said. “With this same commitment, such strict action has been ensured against the criminals that they are now serving life imprisonment.”

The case, which sparked widespread outrage in September 2022, saw a court convict three men last May for Bhandari’s murder. The primary convict is Pulkit Arya, the son of a now-expelled BJP leader, who owned the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh where Ankita was employed. Arya and two associates are currently serving life sentences.

However, the court’s verdict has failed to quell the pursuit of justice by Bhandari’s family, who continue to demand the death penalty for the convicts.

The latest surge in public anger was reportedly triggered by the emergence of a purported audio recording. The clip allegedly refers to a “VIP” whom Ankita had refused to “serve,” a refusal that purportedly led to her murder by Arya and his aides.

Addressing the audio indirectly, Chief Minister Dhami questioned the motives behind its circulation. “One name was mentioned through an audio… Is someone trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the state and looking for political ground here? There are other ways to do politics,” he remarked.

Uttarakhand Police have explicitly denied any involvement of a “VIP” in the case. Despite the existing life sentences, the state government faces persistent pressure to revisit the investigation’s scope.