Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 15: The parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old woman murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, were briefly detained by Delhi Police early Thursday while protesting at India Gate against the appointment of the new Sikkim Governor.

According to Delhi Police, Ankita’s parents were detained around 4 am and released around 5 am. They were demanding that the Governor’s appointment be put on hold until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its investigation into the murder case.

Speaking to news agency, Ankita’s mother said they would launch a hunger strike from their home if they were not allowed to continue their protest at India Gate.

“If the appointment is not revoked, people across the entire country will take to the streets, and the government will be held responsible,” Ankita’s father said.

Ankita worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. She was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal on September 22. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two others were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Congress has extended its support to Ankita’s parents and criticised the government over the appointment of the new Sikkim Governor. Several party leaders staged a protest at India Gate and alleged that Delhi Police personnel had dragged women protesters away from the site.

On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita’s parents and expressed support for their demand for justice.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi criticised the government, alleging that the BJP had honoured criminals and failed to deliver justice to women.

He said Ankita’s parents had travelled far from their home to India Gate to seek justice for their daughter and affirmed that he and the Congress party stood with them in their grief and their fight for justice.