Former employees of the Vanantra resort in Yamkeshwar area of Rishikesh said on Tuesday that the resort owner, among the prime accused, arrested in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, was notorious for misbehaving with women.
Vanantra resort came into limelight after its receptionist Ankita Bhandari’s body was recovered from a canal in Uttrakhand, sparking a political storm in the hill state. The ex-employees of the Uttarakhand resort said on condition of anonymity that the accused resort owner, Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP minister and hotel manager Ankit Gupta used to bring women to the resort and would abuse resort staff including women employees. “They used to abuse and beat the staff for minor mistakes,” said the woman and claimed that in the past, the accused duo had assaulted her too. The couple said they got the job in resort through advertisement in OLX and had joined in May this year. They claimed that they left the job after serving for two months as front office executive cum manager because they started feeling uncomfortable there.
The ex-employees alleged that she had started working at Pulkit Arya’s home on the request of Arya’s wife but soon realised that working there was also not a good idea. The ex-employee alleged one day Pulkit even directed a staff member to send her to his room with food.
{{/usCountry}}The ex-employees alleged that she had started working at Pulkit Arya’s home on the request of Arya’s wife but soon realised that working there was also not a good idea. The ex-employee alleged one day Pulkit even directed a staff member to send her to his room with food.
{{/usCountry}}However, the staff refused to do so and informed her about Arya’s intention. After this, the couple claimed they decided to leave the job and return to their native house in Meerut two months back.
Police arrested Pulkit, Ankit and their friend in connection with murder of Ankita whose body was recovered from Chilla canal.