For years, the parents of 26‑year‑old Ankita Bhandari have lined up outside India Gate, chanting slogans demanding justice for their daughter.
Bhandari, a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was stabbed to death on 18 September 2022; the resort’s owner Pulkit Arya and two accomplices were later handed life sentences.
The protest also targets the recent appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as governor of Sikkim, which the family claims should be stalled until the Central Bureau of Investigation completes its inquiry.
Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka and senior Congress leaders, pressed the CBI to expedite the probe and urged Parliament to scrutinise Gautam's nomination.
The next phase will see the CBI filing a report before the Lok Sabha Committee on Home Affairs, with the government expected to respond by the end of the month.