Ankita Bhandari murder case: Uttarakhand govt orders CBI probe following demands by parents

Ankita Bhandari (L) and CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

• Uttarakhand CM orders CBI probe into Ankita Bhandari murder after parents' plea
• Ankita's parents demand CBI investigation supervised by a Supreme Court judge
• Audio surfaces alleging pressure to name BJP leader as 'VIP' in the murder case

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The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday announced ordering an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the 2022 Ankit Bhandari murder case after her parents met the CM.

The parents of Ankita Bhandari urged the CM for a CBI probe into the murder of their daughter, according to their letter.

Ankita's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, met Dhami Wednesday night and handed him a letter demanding an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

In the letter, Ankita's father said that his daughter was murdered because of a 'VIP' whose identity is still unknown.

He wrote, "I appeal to the government to get this case investigated by the CBI under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge to apprehend the VIP." After the meeting, Dhami said, "I have listened to them. A decision will be taken soon after considering their concerns." The chief minister on Thursday also demanded an apology from the Opposition after a new audio, purportedly of actress Urmila Sanawar, surfaced with another claim.

#WATCH | 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, "...We thought that her parents are the most affected and we should certainly hear them. I spoke with them, and they said that there should be a CBI investigation. Honouring this, we are… pic.twitter.com/pJ8xhX7Bme

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2026

In the audio, Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former MLA Suresh Rathore, is purportedly heard telling Rathore that she was pressured to name BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the "VIP".

The BJP said the audio had exposed the conspiracy to defame its party leaders.

In 2022, Ankita Bhandari, 19, a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees.

All three were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.

A demand for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing has gathered pace ever since Sanawar claimed the involvement of a 'VIP' in the murder.