Ankita Bhandari's parents released after India Gate detention
Delhi Police have released the parents of Ankita Bhandari after they were detained during a protest at India Gate. Congress leaders also faced detention.
The parents of Ankita Bhandari have been released from the Tilak Marg Police Station following their detention during a high-tension protest at India Gate in the early hours of Thursday. The demonstration, which took place around 4 am, saw several opposition leaders also detained by the Delhi Police while they were demanding justice for the victim.
Chaos at India Gate and Police Station
The situation escalated when demonstrators gathered for a sit-in protest to voice their grievances. Amidst the unrest, the Delhi Police moved to detain the grieving parents of Ankita Bhandari along with several prominent Congress leaders. The detention sparked immediate backlash from the opposition, with leaders such as Pawan Khera, Jothimani, and Imran Pratapgarhi staging protests inside the police station itself.
Congress leaders, including Supriya Shrinate and Qazi Nizamuddin, heavily criticised the police action. They alleged that the authorities were specifically targeting individuals who were standing up for justice in the Ankita Bhandari case.
Political Storm over Governor Appointment
The protest was not only about the murder case but also centered on a controversial political appointment. Congress MP Pawan Khera lashed out at the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, suggesting a disturbing trend in the country's governance.
“This is brutality. You can see democracy coming to an end at India Gate. It is ending at 4 am,” Khera stated, describing the police response as an assault on democratic freedoms. He questioned the logic of detaining protesters while an individual facing serious allegations was being elevated to a constitutional post.
Khera further remarked, "Barbarity is happening in this country. The one who has been accused will become the governor, and Ankita's parents will go to jail? We are protesting against rapists, so we will go to jail, and the one who has been accused of rape will become the governor—this is democracy."
The Ankita Bhandari Case Background
The tragedy that ignited these protests dates back to September 2022. Ankita Bhandari was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was subsequently recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022.
The legal proceedings in the case have seen significant developments:
- The Accused: Pulkit Arya (son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya), and two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were identified in the case.
- Legal Action: The trio was arrested and chargesheeted for their roles in the crime.
- The Verdict: On May 30, 2025, Additional District Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar sentenced the accused to life imprisonment for murder and the destruction of evidence.
The recent protest at India Gate had gained significant momentum after Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met with the victim's parents during their sit-in, highlighting the intense public and political interest in the pursuit of justice for the late Ankita Bhandari.