CM Dhami meets Uttarakhand teen's parents, assures ‘harshest punishment’
The teen was missing for at least six days before the Uttarakhand administration recovered her body from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday met the parents and relatives of the 19-year-old resort receptionist, who was allegedly murdered in Rishikesh earlier this month, at their residence in Dobh Srikot village in Pauri district, news agency ANI reported.
Dhami assured the woman's parents that the accused will get the harshest punishment. The chief minister also said the accused will be tried in a fastrack court.
The teen was missing for at least six days before the Uttarakhand administration recovered her body from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24.
Son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, Pulkit Arya was arrested in the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. Besides Pulkit Arya, two more people were arrested in the case.
The post-mortem report of the receptionist, whose murder caused a massive uproar in the hill state, said the cause of death was drowning. It further said there was the presence of four-five antemortem injury marks on her body and ruled out sexual assault.
The resort was demolished on the orders of Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, told HT that the young woman was allegedly being pressured by Pulkit to enter into prostitution and was forced to offer sexual favours.
The provisional autopsy report said the 19-year-old had blunt force trauma and died due to drowning.
The woman’s murder has sparked nationwide outrage with her family seeking capital punishment for the culprits.
"I had spoken to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone. He has given full assurance that justice will be served in my daughter's case," the woman’s father told news agency ANI.
