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Ex-BJP leader’s son, 2 others convicted of 2022 Uttarakhand receptionist murder
The 19-year-old receptionist’s murder for refusing to provide “extra services” to a “VIP guest” at a resort in Pauri Garhwal in 2022 sparked outrage and statewide protests
A court in Uttarakhand on Friday convicted three men, including the son of an expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, of murdering a 19-year-old receptionist for refusing to provide “extra services” to a “VIP guest” at a resort in Pauri Garhwal in 2022. The murder sparked outrage and statewide protests, prompting the Uttarakhand Police to form a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the murder.
Additional district and sessions judge Reena Negi held Pulkit Arya, the resort owner and expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta guilty under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)’s sections 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence), and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), said their lawyer Anuj Pundir.
The receptionist’s body was recovered from a canal six days after her murder. The final arguments in the case concluded on May 19 as the trial lasted two years and eight months. The prosecution produced 47 witnesses, including the investigation officer.
The receptionist’s family has demanded capital punishment for the three convicts. “The way those monsters killed my daughter... I have said it from the beginning.....death for death. We want all three to be hanged.....” said the 19-year-old woman’s father. “We hope the judiciary will deliver justice and award them the death penalty.”
The SIT submitted a 500-page charge sheet in December 2022 with statements of 100 witnesses and documentary evidence, including forensic, post-mortem reports, electronic evidence from three mobile phones of the accused, and WhatsApp chats.
The SIT found the resort, which was demolished over alleged illegal construction, was not registered with the Uttarakhand tourism department.
The receptionist’s family accused the government of apathy and threatened suicide if the prosecution lawyer in the case was not removed. Her father alleged the lawyer deliberately tried to save the accused by not bringing important facts before the court. He accused him of uploading “objectionable videos” regarding the case on a YouTube channel, which showed he was not serious about ensuring justice.
In 2024, the family claimed the guest who was refused “extra services” was a BJP leader. A video uploaded on social media purportedly showed the woman’s mother accusing chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of making “false promises” and doing “nothing to ensure justice” in the case.
The Congress attacked the ruling BJP and sought a judicial probe. It questioned the “fairness in the investigation” and asked why police were not revealing the name of the VIP for whom the victim was being pressurised for sexual favours. The BJP rejected the allegations as baseless.
