Police removed Soni Devi and her husband from the vicinity of Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat on Wednesday after they staged a sit-in protest near the public entrance. The couple, accompanied by two others, had initially visited the site to offer prayers and address the media before launching the dharna. A police source told PTI that the location is not a designated protest area, and despite repeated warnings to disperse, the group refused to leave. Officers subsequently escorted them off the premises without formally detaining them.
The tension traces back to October 14, when the Bhandaris were briefly held while protesting the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor near India Gate. During the Wednesday incident, Soni Devi complained of health issues and was transported to Burari Government Hospital for a medico-legal examination. Although officials attempted to conduct the MLC, both parents declined the medical check-up. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha and his supporters arrived at the hospital shortly after, and the Bhandari couple left the facility with the legislator.
The case that has driven the family’s activism centers on the murder of Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. She was killed on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Pulkit Arya, the resort owner and son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, along with two accomplices, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the family has persistently demanded an inquiry into allegations that an unidentified VIP was involved in orchestrating the crime, claiming Ankita was pressured to provide sexual favors to guests.
The narrative shifted dramatically in January 2026 when an FIR was registered against the unidentified VIP following the circulation of audio and video clips referencing his potential role. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe on January 9, 2026, leading the CBI’s Special Crime Branch to take over the case. The family’s recent protests signal their continued push for transparency in this high-profile investigation.