By Ranjona Banerji
A group of women’s organisations have produced an indepth fact-finding report into the Ankita Bhandari case.
With all that happens in this country, we have largely forgotten the Ankita Bhandari case, even with Uttarakhand.
To recap, a young woman, Ankita Bhandari, 19, who worked as a receptionist at a resort, was reported missing by her father. Her body was found six days later. Uttarakhand does not have a proper policing system in its non-city areas. Thus the revenue or patwari police with no crime investigation experience was in charge.
The family alleged that the police was further compromised by the fact that the resort was owned by BJP politician Vinod Arya’s son, Pulkit Arya. Ankita’s friends say she was being forced by the resort owner to provide “extra” services for VIP guests which she refused to do. She vanished soon after she complained to a friend about pressures put on her. A local BJP politician, Renu Bisht, muddied the investigation further by bulldozing part of the resort, destroying vital evidence.
All this happened in September 2022.
Almost six months later, Ankita is out of the national headlines.
The fact-finding report says:
“The collapse of the criminal justice system and the freedom to destroy evidence is also clearly visible in this case. Precious evidence, including the crime scene, was destroyed on the night of September 23, under the leadership of ruling BJP MLA Renu Bisht, who also owns a resort in the area. The negligence and maliciousness of the police is visible in this. Why was the crime scene not sealed by the police? Why was no action taken against Bisht for destroying evidence? Who allowed her to run the government bulldozer on the resort?”
As happens all too often in such cases, Ankita’s father was fobbed off by various police stations, made to run about to even get a missing persons’ report filed. Ankita’s body was cremated by the police, as in the Hathras rape and murder victim’s case. Ankita’s mother was not even allowed to see her daughter’s face for the last time.
https://www.newsclick.in/Ankita-Bhandari-Murder-Case-Fact-Finding-Report-Questions-Uttarakhand-Admin-Role
https://thewire.in/rights/uttarkahand-fact-finding-team-police-probe-ankita-bhandari
Womens’ organisations say they are willing to fight for justice to the end. While the accused have been arrested, unless there is constant media and social attention on this case, we all know that it will vanish into the archives of time and be forgotten. There are too many powerful people involved, even if the Aryas have been removed from the BJP. The Uttarakhand High Court refused the family’s plea for the CBI to take the case, thus it remains with the state.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has initiated a move to remove the revenue police system. But apparently, fear of protests from Ankita’s family and friends around his house, the road has been blocked for all citizens. So much for a functioning democracy.
Over and again one sees the downside of living in a small state on the Indian borders. The Ankita Bhandari case has been forgotten, the sinking of Joshimath has also practically been forgotten. Every day more cracks appear in roads, home and hillsides.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/joshimath-cracks-are-up-to-half-km-long-2-feet-wide-survey/articleshow/98132447.cms
In spite of Joshimath’s proximity to Badrinath, bookings for the Char Dham Yatra have begun in earnest. These are people from all over India so perhaps their presence will draw attention to the massive problems facing Uttarakhand’s natural resources and heritage.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/char-dham-yatra-to-begin-on-april-22-amid-joshimath-fears/articleshow/98051146.cms
Helicopter services will also begin and they carry their own dangers at such high altitudes on fragile terrain.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/many-deaths-near-misses-in-turbulent-skies-over-kedarnath/articleshow/94952830.cms
I received a few calls this week from worried friends about a prediction of a massive earthquake in Uttarakhand.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/turkey-magnitude-quake-could-hit-uttarakhand-expert/articleshow/98104381.cms?from=mdr
While scare-mongering is dangerous, all experts have agreed for years now that a massive earthquake is likely in Uttarakhand, sooner rather than later. How much have you ever heard about that?
Like our knowledge of the environment, our ideas about geology appear to be non-existent. Better science journalism in India has been the need of the hour for ages.
I’ll leave it there for now.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal