3 arrests within 24 hours, 500-page chargesheet, 88-day probe, 3 life terms: Inside the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Police arrested all three accused in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari within 24 hours of the incident coming to light, completed the investigation in 88 days and filed a chargesheet of around 500 pages, Additional Director General of Police (Crime and Law & Order) Dr V Murugesan said on Thursday.Addressing a press conference at Police Headquarters in Dehradun, Murugesan outlined the investigation and judicial proceedings in the case involving Bhandari, who worked at Vanantara Resort near Rishikesh.He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted immediately on the directions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, given the seriousness and sensitivity of the case. A woman IPS officer of DIG rank was appointed to head the team.The SIT collected digital, technical, forensic and physical evidence during the investigation. It also examined the accused, forensic reports and witness statements, Murugesan said.The chargesheet was submitted to the court after the SIT completed its investigation within 88 days, he added.The case subsequently went to trial, with the prosecution presenting evidence collected by the SIT.On May 30, 2025, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kotdwar convicted all three accused — Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta — and sentenced them to life imprisonment.Murugesan said the state government had taken steps to ensure expeditious judicial proceedings and effective prosecution. He attributed the convictions to the evidence collected by the SIT and the arguments presented by the prosecution.All three convicts are currently in jail, serving their life sentences, he said.Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.