New Delhi, October 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old receptionist allegedly murdered at a resort in Uttarakhand in September 2022, met senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi on Friday and shared information related to the case.
The meeting came two days after Ankita’s parents staged a protest near India Gate on October 14, demanding justice for their daughter. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also joined the protest, met the family and expressed solidarity with their demand.
Ankita’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, apprised the CBI officials of various aspects of the case. The officials assured them that all relevant issues would be examined and that the investigation would be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
Ankita’s alleged murder in 2022 had triggered widespread outrage across Uttarakhand and calls for strict action against those accused.
The Uttarakhand government, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has maintained that it acted promptly to ensure justice. In a statement issued earlier this week, the state government said the accused were arrested within 24 hours and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the case.
A charge sheet of around 500 pages was subsequently filed, incorporating evidence and statements from nearly 100 witnesses. The government also said the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment after trial and that their bail pleas had repeatedly been rejected.
According to the state government, public prosecutors were changed three times in response to the family’s requests. It added that Dhami ordered a CBI investigation after Ankita’s parents sought a central agency probe.
The government also said it had provided Rs 25 lakh in financial assistance and government jobs to Ankita’s father and brother.
The parents’ meeting with CBI officials comes amid their continued demand for a thorough examination of the case and accountability for their daughter’s death.
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