Uttarakhand revenue official under lens of SIT in Ankita Bhandari murder case

The SIT of Uttarakhand police probing the alleged murder 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was working as a receptionist at Vanantara Resort in Pauri Garhwal district, are also investigating the role of a revenue sub-inspector (patwari) for his “close links” with the main accused.

A special investigation team (SIT) of Uttarakhand police probing the alleged murder 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was working as a receptionist at Vanantara Resort in Pauri Garhwal district, are also investigating the role of a revenue sub-inspector (patwari) for his “close links” with the main accused, a senior police officer said on Thursday.

An accused in Ankita Bhandari murder case, Pulkit Arya’s resort was partially demolished by authorities overnight in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. (PTI)

Resort owner and now expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son, Pulkit Arya, is the main accused in the case and has been arrested along with his two staff members.

“Patwari Vaibhav Pratap Singh, who is revenue sub-inspector of Udaipur Palla-2, Yamkeshwar tehsil, will soon be called for questioning to establish his role in the case,” the officer said, seeking anonymity.

On September 27, the Pauri Garhwal district magistrate Vijay Kumar Jogdande had suspended the patwari, until further orders, for “negligence in performing his duties” by not filing the complaint submitted by Bhandari’s father “on time”. The district magistrate had also ordered a departmental probe “for his suspicious role” in the case.

“He had close links with the accused and used to act on his behest,” the officer said.