Ankita Bhandari case: Parents meet CBI officials, get assurance of fair and impartial probe

The parents of Ankita Bhandari, who was allegedly murdered at a resort in Uttarakhand in 2022, met senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials at the agency's headquarters here on Friday and apprised them of various aspects of the case.

The meeting took place two days after Ankita's parents staged a protest near India Gate on October 14, demanding justice for their daughter.

The protest was also joined by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who met the grieving family and expressed solidarity with their demand.

According to information, Ankita's father Virendra Singh Bhandari and mother Soni Devi met senior officials at the agency's headquarters on Friday and shared information regarding various aspects of the case.

The CBI officials assured the family that all aspects of the case would be examined properly and that the investigation would be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.

Ankita, a 19-year-old receptionist, was allegedly murdered in September 2022.

The case had triggered widespread outrage across Uttarakhand and demands for strict action against the accused.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that it acted with utmost seriousness from the beginning to ensure justice for Ankita.

In a statement released two days ago, the state government said the accused were arrested within 24 hours, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to conduct a thorough investigation.

A charge sheet of around 500 pages, incorporating evidence and statements of nearly 100 witnesses, was subsequently filed.

The state government also highlighted that the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment following the trial and that their bail pleas were repeatedly rejected.

It said that public prosecutors were changed three times in response to the family's requests and that Chief Minister Dhami ordered a CBI probe after Ankita's parents demanded one.

The state government said it had also provided financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh and government jobs to Ankita's father and brother.