The Kotdwar Session Court in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand on Saturday framed charges against the accused within the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The most important accused Pulkit Arya — son of a former BJP Minister within the State authorities led by Trivendra Singh Rawat — was booked for murder, molestation and immoral trafficking together with molestation, whereas his two mates had been charged for murder and hiding the evidences.
The Uttarakhand Police filed the chargesheet within the Bhandari murder case on the Kotdwar court in December 2022. In the 500-page chargesheet, the police recorded the statements of 100 witnesses and offered over 30 documentary evidences.
The court framed charges against Arya below Section 302 (murder), 201 (suppression of proof), 354 (A) molestation and outraging modesty) the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Immoral Traffic Act. Arya’s mates, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, had been charged below Sections 302, 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Immoral Prostitution Act.
Government counsel Jitendra Rawat mentioned that each one the three accused refused to simply accept the allegations levelled against them and pleaded innocence. The court has listed the subsequent listening to on March 28.
“The court had also rejected the bail application of Ankit and Pulkit. Bhaskar’s bail plea was also rejected,” Mr. Rawat added.
Bhandari was allegedly murdered by Pulkit Arya and his aides in September 2022. Pulkit owned a resort in Uttarakhand and is the son of Vinod Arya, former Minister of State below the earlier BJP authorities headed by Trivendra Singh Rawat.
Her physique was discovered from the canal over every week after she went lacking. The police had arrested the accused after sequence of protests. The case, initially registered with Patwari Police was later transferred to the SIT. The accused are in jail since then.
Ankita’s farther had alleged that his daughter was being compelled into prostitution by her employers. “She was being forced to give ‘special service’ to a high profile guest,” he alleged.
