Students and residents converged at the District Administrative Centre in Gangtok on Wednesday, pressing the central government to shelve Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s gubernatorial appointment until the CBI settles the unanswered questions in the Ankita Bhandari murder saga. The demonstrators carried placards demanding a deferment, refusing to accept the appointment while the alleged VIP angle remains under investigation.
The CBI, acting on a recommendation from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, opened a file into the 2022 killing of 19‑year‑old Ankita Bhandari, who worked at Vanantra Resort. Though Gautam is not named in the chargesheet, the victim’s parents claim he is the VIP referenced by investigators, a claim he has publicly denied.
Gautam, a senior BJP stalwart, was announced as the new governor on Oct. 12, 2024, with his oath scheduled for Oct. 19. CL Chettri, a local student leader, said, "I’m fine with him if he’s cleared, but until the case ends, he should not be sworn in."
Anjali, the protest’s organizer, said the movement is citizen‑led, independent of party politics. "We didn’t wait for permission; we went straight to the district officer and the superintendent of police, who welcomed us," she told reporters.
Kailash Pradhan, another attendee, cautioned that the Sikkim government, aligned with the NDA, has little room to counter the central decision. "The chief minister’s NDA ties and his own conviction before he took office leave the state with limited leverage," he noted.
The crowd vowed to keep the pressure alive, planning weekly rallies until the central government reconsiders the timing of Gautam’s oath. The next protest is slated for next Thursday, with organizers urging the National Administration to heed the public’s demand.