Dushyant Kumar Gautam, a former BJP National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, assumed the post of Sikkim Governor on Oct. 12, 2026, after the centre nominated him.
The appointment has reignited the 2022 murder of 19‑year‑old Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, whose body was found in the Chilla canal on Sep. 18.
Ankita’s murder was prosecuted against resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar, Pulkit Arya, and assistant Ankita Gupta, all of whom received life sentences, yet her family insists a VIP’s involvement remains unprobed.
Sandeep Bhandari, Ankita’s father, staged a protest near the India Gate on Wed. Jun. 28, demanding the CBI complete its VIP‑angle inquiry before Gautam can serve, while he has initiated defamation proceedings against the claims.
The CBI has yet to release its findings, and the Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Home Affairs is set to hold a hearing on Oct. 15 to assess the governor appointment amid the controversy.