Poor but won't get sold for Rs 10k, deceased Ankita Bhandari told friend | What we know about U'khand resort receptionist murder

The alleged murder of a 19-year-old receptionist, Ankita Bhandari, in the Vanantara resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri district has sparked massive outrage across the country. The girl went missing on September 18 following which a missing complaint was lodged at a revenue police outpost after the girl was not found in her room by her parents on Monday morning.

On September 23, BJP leader's son Pulkit Arya and two employees of a resort he owns were arrested for allegedly killing its receptionist. Her body was fished out of a canal on Saturday and the autopsy report said that she died due to drowning and there were findings of injuries on the body before death, suggestive of blunt force trauma.

Here's what we know so far:

-Ankita Bhandari was reported to be missing on September 18. According to police sources, she went to Rishikesh that night around 8 o'clock with Pulkit Arya, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and another accused named Ankit, alias Pulkit Gupta.

-While on their way back, the trio stopped to drink alcohol by a canal along Chila Road and Ankita waited for them. After some time, a quarrel broke out between the trio and the girl. The girl accused the three men of carrying out illicit activities at the resort owned by Pulkit Arya and threatened to go public. In a fit of anger, the three allegedly pushed the girl into the canal.

-Hours before her alleged murder, Ankita had called the chef of the resort, Manveer Singh Chauhan, told India Today TV. A sobbing Ankita had called Manveer and had asked him to bring her bag. But when the one of the staff went with the bag, he couldn’t find Ankita, Chauhan told India Today. She was last seen on September 18 around 3 pm at the resort.

Ankita Bhandari murder mystery deepens.
India Today's Ankit Sharma gets us all the latest updates.#ITVideo| @PoulomiMSaha pic.twitter.com/csQL5DkoAh — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 24, 2022

- Based on the missing complaint, an FIR was registered three days later, on September 21. Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal Police arrested the main accused, Pulkit Arya, who is the owner of the resort, along with assistant manager Ankit Gupta and manager Saurabh Bhaskar on Friday. The case was filed under sections of murder and concealment of evidence — 302 and 201 of the IPC.

ALSO READ| Ankita Bhandari killed for refusing ‘special services’, say police; govt orders SIT probe | Top developments

-Initially, the accused tried to mislead police but they confessed to the crime when they were interrogated sternly. All three of them were presented before the court on Friday and were sent to 14 days of judicial custody. The father of the girl alleged that the girl was molested by the accused and the audio of the incident had been recorded.

-Ankita reportedly told one of her close friends that the owner and managers of the resort where she worked were mounting pressure on her to provide 'special services' to clients. She told her friend on WhatsApp that though she is poor, but she wouldn't sell herself for Rs 10,000.

Ankita Bhandari murder case: India Today accesses Ankita's chat with her friend #ITVideo #Uttarakhand | @snehamordani pic.twitter.com/3ApqpxxylN — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 25, 2022

-On Friday, the locals in Rishikesh staged demonstrations and protested against the alleged murder of the receptionist. Hundreds of civilians were seen surrounding a police vehicle, allegedly carrying the three murder accused. Women also gheraoed and leaned onto the police vehicle, in an attempt to confront the perpetrators.

#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Women gherao the Police vehicle that was carrying the accused in Ankita Bhandari murder case

The 19-yr-old receptionist went missing a few days ago & her body was found today. 3 accused, incl Pulkit -owner of the resort where she worked- arrested pic.twitter.com/v3IK8zE1xI — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 23, 2022

-Violent protests erupted in areas surrounding the resort, with locals breaking glass panes and some trying to torch a pickle factory in its premises.Angry locals even vandalised the resort owned by the main accused, Pulkit.

#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Locals vandalise the resort of main accused Pulkit, where Ankita Bhandari worked. 3 accused, including Pulkit, arrested.

Police say that accused confessed to having pushed her into a canal after a dispute & she drowned. Search for the body is on pic.twitter.com/aDE6He7IrV — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 23, 2022

-As the protests flared up across the state, on the orders of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, the resort of Pulkit Arya was demolished late Friday night. The resort, built illegally in the Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district by the BJP leader's son, was demolished late Friday night, Dhami said.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Demolition underway on orders of CM PS Dhami, at the Vanatara Resort in Rishikesh owned by Pulkit Arya who allegedly murdered Ankita Bhandari: Abhinav Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to the CM

(Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/8iklpWw0y6 — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2022

ALSO READ| Uttarakhand receptionist murder: Resort of arrested BJP leader's son demolished after CM's order

-The CM, while ordering a strict investigation into the case, also gave orders to district magistrates to investigate all the resorts of the state. The locals also set ablaze the Rishikesh resort of Pulkit Arya, the main accused in the murder case.

-A team which launched a manhunt to search for Ankita's body found it near Chilla power house close to the demolished resort. After her body was found, Uttarakhand CM ordered an SIT probe headed by DIGP Renuka Devi. Uttarakhand Director general of police (DGP) Ashok Kumar said victim Ankita was under pressure to commit wrongful acts.

-On Saturday, locals protested against BJP MLA Renu Bisht and vandalised her car as they agitated over Ankita Bhandari's murder case. The MLA was escorted away by police.

#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Locals protested against BJP MLA Renu Bisht & vandalised her car as they agitated over Ankita Bhandari murder case.The MLA was escorted away by Police

3 accused,incl BJP leader Vinod Arya's son Pulkit Arya, arrested in connection with the matter pic.twitter.com/RExf8pExAS — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2022

-The BJP also swung into action and expelled the father and brother of Pulkit Arya, Vinod Arya and Ankit Arya with immediate effect.Vinod Arya, a party leader from Haridwar, had formerly served as a chairman of the Uttarakhand Mati Board with a state minister's rank. Pulkit's brother Ankit is the vice president of the state OBC Commission.

Ankita Bhandari murder case | Ankit Arya, the brother of main accused Pulkit Arya and son of BJP leader Vinod Arya, relieved by the Uttarakhand government from the post of Deputy Chairman of the Uttarakhand Other Backward Classes Commission. pic.twitter.com/vZwXHywVNK — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 24, 2022

-Ankita Bhandari's cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning, the post-mortem report revealed on Saturday. Furthermore, the report added that there were findings of injuries on the body before death, suggestive of blunt force trauma. The post-mortem of her body was done at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh on Saturday. Her body was handed over to her family for cremation.

ALSO READ| Uttarakhand resort receptionist 'murdered' on premises, Congress alleges accused linked to BJP

-The Congress on Saturday attacked the BJP after the son of one of its leaders was arrested in Ankita Bhandari's murder case and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the nation.

-The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has planned to hold a protest at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Sunday demanding the resignation of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. AAP alleged that there has been a steady rise in reports of violence and abuse against women across the country.

ALSO READ| Ankita Bhandari called Rishikesh resort staffer 'crying' before going missing