The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday launched action into the Ankita Bhandari case, a day after her parents met senior CBI officials. According to news agency ANI, a CBI team are questioning ex-BJP MLA Suresh Rathore at a guest house in Haridwar.
As stated in an earlier HT report, Ankita Bhandari's parents met senior CBI officials on Friday and sought narco-tests on the former legislator, as well as on actor Urmila Sanawar.
“Ankita’s parents also gave a letter demanding narco-tests on both Rathore and Sanawar saying their audio recording recently went viral and it had allegations of involvement of a senior BJP leader in the case,” an officer requesting anonymity had said.
Ankita Bhandari was a 19-year-old resort receptionist whose body was found in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal in 2022.
‘Will cooperate in probe’: Ex-BJP MLA
Following the questioning by CBI officials, Suresh Rathore said he is extending full cooperation to the investigation. “I cooperated with the investigation—nothing more, nothing less. I have no further comment. We provided full cooperation to the CBI during their questioning...I have shared everything relevant to the investigation. I have extended my full cooperation and will continue to do so...As for Urmila Sanawar, I know nothing about her. I have no idea who she is. I know nothing at all,” he told news agency ANI.
Ankita Bhandari's parents meet CBI director
In a media interaction on Friday, Ankita Bhandari's parents said they met the CBI Director in the presence of Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni.
{{/usCountry}}In a media interaction on Friday, Ankita Bhandari's parents said they met the CBI Director in the presence of Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni.
{{/usCountry}}“Our primary demand was that, given that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s name has surfaced in connection with the case involving my daughter, Ankita Bhandari, he should not be administered the oath of office as a Governor or in any other official capacity until narco-analysis tests are conducted on Suresh Rathore and Urmila Sanawar,” Ankita Bhandari's father Virendra Singh Bhandari told ANI.
The meeting came days after Ankita Bhandari's parents were detained from the India Gate in Delhi as they staged a sit-in against the appointment of former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.
They want the appointment to be put on hold until a CBI probe into the alleged VIP angle in the case is completed. “Dushyant Kumar should go to jail...because of the VIP my daughter was murdered,” Ankita's father earlier told HT.
Dushyant Gautam, who served as the BJP’s Uttarakhand in-charge from November 2020 to August 2026, was appointed as Sikkim's Governor earlier this week.
(With inputs from Neeraj Chauhan).