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Resort linked to Uttarakhand murder case was running illegally, say police
Pulkit Arya, the son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, was among three people arrested in connection with the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. The victim worked as a receptionist at Pulkit Arya’s Vanantra Resort in the Yamkeshwar area of Pauri Garhwal district.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of a 19-year-old receptionist, whose body was found in a canal in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh last month, said on Friday that the resort at the centre of the storm is not registered with the state tourism department.
Ankita Bhandari’s body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24, nearly a week after she was reported missing. Pulkit Arya, the son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, was among three people arrested in connection with the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation.
The victim worked as a receptionist at Pulkit Arya’s Vanantra Resort in the Yamkeshwar area of Pauri Garhwal district.
“During the investigation, we found that the resort (Vantara Resort) was not registered under Uttarakhand Tourism rules. So, we’ve written to the authorities concerned to take the necessary action and inform us of the same,” deputy inspector general of police, P Renuka Devi, said.
“It was also found that the resort (Vanatara) didn’t have a fire NOC (No Objection Certificate) either... We also wrote to the court for trial in a fast-track court. Our investigation is going on. We’ve received some FSL reports and some more are yet to come,” the SIT in-charge added.
HT tried to contact sub-divisional magistrate (Yamkeshwar), Pramod Kumar, and district tourism officer Prakash Singh Khatri for a comment on the matter, but they did not respond.
To be sure, several resorts in the area are not registered with the tourism department.
Last week, state tourism minister Satpal Maharaj directed tourism secretary Sachin Kurve to submit a list of all hotels, homestays and resorts, and take action against those without registration.
The development comes in the backdrop of Bhandari’s murder.
According to the police, she was allegedly murdered by the three accused for refusing to provide “extra services” to the VIP guests. A WhatsApp conversation between the victim and her close friend hinted that the accused was pressuring her for the same.
On September 18, Pulkit and the victim entered into an argument at the resort. Later, around 8 pm, the three accused took her out on pretext of sorting out the matter. On their way back, they stopped at an isolated dark corner and threw her into the canal following an altercation, an official said.
They had reported her “missing” until her body was found six days later. The three men have been arrested and, according to the police, have confessed to murdering Bhandari.
So far, police have recorded statements of over 30 witnesses in the murder case, and six of them have testified before the court. Recently, the SIT booked the three under charges of sexual harassment and forcing a person into prostitution.
