Ankita Murder Case: Court gave its verdict after two years and eight months, all three accused found guilty in the murder case

Uttarakhand Ankita Murder Case: On September 18, 2022, receptionist Ankita Bhandari was murdered at Vanantra Resort and her body was thrown into the Cheela Shakti Canal. The body was recovered from the Cheela Canal a week after the incident.

The Additional District and Sessions Court (ADJ Court) located in Kotdwar has pronounced its verdict today in the much talked about Ankita Bhandari murder case. The court has convicted the three accused Pulkit Arya, his employee Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta in the murder case. They have been convicted under sections 302, 201, 354. The final verdict will come shortly.

The eyes of the people of entire Uttarakhand and the country were fixed on the court’s verdict. For this, extensive security arrangements have been made by the police administration in Kotdwar. Police force has been called to Kotdwar from various districts of Garhwal division. Barricades have been put up on the roads outside the court premises.

On May 19, the hearing was concluded by the prosecution advocate Special Public Prosecutor Avnish Negi responding to the arguments of the defense. After hearing the arguments and arguments of both the sides, the court had fixed May 30 as the date for pronouncing the verdict. The first hearing of the case started in the ADJ court located in Kotdwar on January 30, 2023. After the SIT investigation, a 500-page charge sheet was filed in the court by the prosecution.

After the charges were framed against the three accused, Vanantra Resort owner Pulkit Arya, his employee Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, the prosecution’s testimony began on March 28, 2023. In the hearing that lasted for about two years and eight months, 47 witnesses including the investigator were examined in the court on behalf of the prosecution. However, the SIT had produced 97 witnesses in this case, out of which only 47 important witnesses were produced in the court.

The three accused in Ankita murder case – Photo: ANI

Extensive security arrangements around the court premises

Kotwal Ramesh Tanwar said that a large number of police forces, officers and one and a half companies of PAC personnel have been deployed from Pauri district as well as Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Uttarkashi districts to ensure tight security in the court premises.

No outsider is allowed to enter the court premises. Several rounds of meetings and mock drills were conducted by the police and administration regarding security arrangements. The premises will be transformed into a cantonment. Senior police and administrative officers will themselves keep an eye on the security arrangements.

Prohibitory orders imposed within 200 meters of the court premises, four magistrates deployed

In view of the court’s decision, SDM Kotdwar Sohan Singh Saini has imposed Section 163 within 200 meters of the court premises. The district administration has deployed four magistrates in Kotdwar and one in Pauri. No person will be able to enter within 200 meters of the court in a group. Along with this, sloganeering, dharna

demonstration has also been banned.

What happened when

*Resort owner Pulkit complained about Ankita’s disappearance in revenue area Patti Udaipur Palla on 20 September 2022.

*When people started protesting, on 22 September 2022, by order of the District Magistrate, the matter was given to the regular police Laxmanjhula police station.

*Laxman Jhula police investigated and during interrogation of Pulkit, Ankit and Saurabh, it was found that they killed her on 18 September.

*The reason for the murder was that the three were pressuring her to do immoral acts. So that the secret does not come out, she was pushed into the Cheela canal.

*On 22 September, the police removed the section of kidnapping from the case and added sections of murder, hiding evidence and criminal conspiracy.

*On 23 September, on the orders of the court, all three accused were sent to jail in judicial custody. During this also people demonstrated fiercely.

*On September 24, Ankita Bhandari’s body was recovered from Cheela Canal Barrage Intake, 13 km away from the incident spot.

*On September 24 itself, Ankita’s post-mortem was conducted by a team of experts from AIIMS Rishikesh.

*On September 24, on the instructions of ADG Crime and Law and Order, SIT was formed under the leadership of DIG to investigate the case.

*On September 26, the crime scene was recreated by taking the three accused in police custody remand.

*During the investigation, sections of Immoral Trafficking Act were also added to the case against the accused.

*On December 16, a charge sheet was filed in the court against Pulkit, Ankit and Saurabh under murder, hiding evidence, molestation and Immoral Trafficking Act.

*The verdict came on May 30, 2025.