Murdered Ankita Bhandari’s parents released from detention at 5am after overnight India Gate protest

NEW DELHI: Ankita Bhandari's parents, along with several opposition leaders and protesters, were detained by Delhi Police at India Gate after an overnight protest.They are demanding the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case is completed.While talking to reporters, Ankita Bhandari's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari said, "If Dushyant Kumar's appointment is not canceled within 24 hours, we will stage nationwide protests once again. The government will be held accountable for this."Ankita Bhandari’s parents were released by the Delhi Police around 5.00 am on Thursday, October 15, 2026.Congress leaders criticised the police action, alleging that the authorities were targeting those demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari and questioning the proposed appointment of Dushyant Gautam.Congress MP Pawan Khera alleged that the police action reflected a deterioration in democratic freedoms.“This is brutality. You can see democracy coming to an end at India Gate. It is ending at 4 am,” Khera said.Earlier on Wednesday, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met with the parents of the late Ankita Bhandari during their sit-in protest at India Gate.Ankita was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022.The resort owner, Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were arrested and chargesheeted. On May 30, 2025, they were sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar for murder, destruction of evidence and other charges.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.