Uttarakhand police files fresh FIRs in Ankita Bhandari murder case amid row over actress's allegations
The Uttarakhand Police on Saturday said it has filed two fresh FIRs to probe the allegations raised by actress Urmila Sanawar in connection with the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. In a series of videos posted on the social media, Sanavar, the alleged wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, named a purported VIP linked to the case and levelled serious allegations against several BJP leaders. Based on the facts that emerge during the investigation, legal and effective action will be taken, said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Dr V Murugesan. Dr Murugesan appealed to the general public to come up with evidence, if they have any, that may be related to the murder. The officer called the receptionist's murder an extremely unfortunate and sensitive incident. Murugesan said that, after the killing, the state government immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team under a female IPS officer, which promptly arrested all the accused and ensured that they did not get bail. He said that during the investigation and the trial, petitions were filed in the high court and the Supreme Court requesting that the investigation of this case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. But both courts considered the SIT investigation to be fair, transparent and lawful, and denied the pleas, he added. The lower court sentenced all three accused to life imprisonment. The latest FIRs stem from a viral video of Urmila Sanawar and an audio recording of her alleged conversation with husband Rathore. In her video, Sanawar alleged that the person named 'Gattu' is the same 'VIP' involved in the Ankita murder case. In another video, Sanawar revealed the identity of the purported 'Gattu'. The police action came as the BJP leadership has been on high alert after the revelations by the actress --linking several high-ranking party figures to the murder-- triggered a political storm in the state. Following the actress's video, Ankita Bhandaris mother, Soni Devi, has demanded swift action from the authorities. Speaking emotionally, Soni Devi urged Sanavar to place any crucial evidence she possesses directly before the court without delay. The truth must come out...Whoever this VIP or any other individual involved in this heinous crime is must be given the strictest punishment under the law, she said. Ankita, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in Yamkeshwar, Pauri district, was brutally murdered in September, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Cheela Shakti Canal about a week after her disappearance. Before her death, Ankita had reportedly shared concerns about the resorts activities and her own safety with her friend Pushpdeep through phone calls and chats, details of which emerged during the investigation. Police later revealed that Ankita was allegedly being pressured by resort owner Pulkit Arya and his associates, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, to engage in immoral activities and provide extra service to an alleged VIP. (With inputs from PTI) BJP leadership on alert in Uttarakhand over actress Urmila Sanawar's videos on Ankita Bhandari case
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