Ankita Case: Parents Lead Delhi Protest Over Delayed Justice

News Desk

NEW DELHI: The parents of murdered receptionist Ankita Bhandari staged an impassioned demonstration at India Gate in the federal capital on Sunday,

demanding comprehensive justice and an impartial probe into their daughter’s killing.

Flanked by prominent opposition figures, including senior Indian National Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the aggrieved parents, Virender Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, voiced sharp condemnation of the ruling administration over alleged institutional delays and selective law enforcement.

Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old resort worker in the northern state of Uttarakhand, was murdered in September 2022 after she reportedly resisted coercive demands to provide illicit services to influential guests.

The primary suspect in the case, Pulkit Arya, is the son of a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

During the protest at the national monument, the victim’s parents alleged that state authorities have systematically shielded influential individuals whose identities surfaced during the initial inquiry, leaving crucial dimensions of the conspiracy unexamined.

The convergence of leading political opposition leaders at India Gate has reignited national scrutiny over women’s safety and the entrenched VIP culture in regional governance.

Congress leaders accused the Narendra Modi-led government of failing to protect vulnerable citizens, arguing that state machinery routinely suppresses justice when political affiliates face severe criminal allegations.

Civil rights organizations and student unions also joined the demonstration, reiterating calls for institutional reform within the criminal justice apparatus.

The victim’s family has declared that their agitation will intensify nationwide unless the central authorities order a transparent, court-monitored investigation into the broader nexus behind the crime.

Legal representatives representing the family confirmed plans to approach higher judicial forums to ensure all secondary suspects and political patrons linked to the resort are brought before the court.