Remove Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor in 24 hours or face nationwide stir: Rishikesh resort murder victim's dad

DEHRADUN/NEWDELHI: Hours after Delhi Police detained them during a pre-dawn protest at India Gate on Thursday, the parents of the 2022 Rishikesh resort murder victim vowed to intensify their fight for justice, with her father giving a 24-hour ultimatum for the removal of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor.He threatened a nationwide agitation beginning in Delhi if the demand was not met.The family sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, while leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to her separately, urging reconsideration of Gautam’s appointment until CBI completed its investigation.Speaking to TOI after his release, the victim’s father said, “We want to meet the President and have made an appeal to meet her to narrate our agony. We were removed from the protest but this is not the end.” He added, “We will be staying in the national capital and wait before proceeding further in the matter.”The father reiterated that Gautam should not hold the post of governor while the investigation was on. Referring to the unresolved questions surrounding the alleged involvement of a “VVIP” in his daughter’s death, he added, “The name of the VVIP still remains a mystery. Once the CBI investigation ends, all the facts will come to the fore.”In his letter to President Murmu, Rahul argued that constitutional immunity attached to the governor’s office could prevent criminal proceedings against Gautam during his tenure. “An inquiry that can never result in prosecution is an inquiry in name only,” he wrote.President Murmu appointed Gautam, a former BJP Uttarakhand in-charge, as Sikkim governor on Oct 12.The murder case involved allegations that a VIP had demanded “special service” from the victim, who allegedly refused. Her body was found in a canal. The resort belonged to the son of a then BJP neta. Gautam’s name had figured in the allegations concerning the purported VIP, but these remain unproven.The victim’s parents began protesting at India Gate on Wednesday evening, where Rahul, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party general secretary KC Venugopal joined them. Several Congress netas were part of the overnight demonstration.Around 4am Thursday, Delhi Police detained the parents, activist Yogita Bhayana and several Congress members, taking them to Tilak Nagar police station. Party workers protested the action, while videos circulated showing many attempting to block the bus carrying detainees. Police later released the parents.Asked about Congress netas joining their protest, the victim’s father told TOI, “We had not invited anyone. On hearing that we were protesting, they came to extend support.” He said the couple had met Rahul at his Delhi residence earlier. “He had assured us support in our fight for justice,” he said.Uttarakhand’s women and child welfare minister Rekha Arya, however, accused Congress of politicising the case. “Securing justice for the family is a matter linked to the emotions of the entire state of Uttarakhand and the dignity of daughters. It is unfortunate to use this sensitive matter for political gain,” she said.Questioning Congress’s protests in Delhi and Dehradun, Arya asked whether the party genuinely wanted justice for the victim’s family or was attempting to regain its lost political ground. “It is easy to do politics in the name of a daughter, but to secure justice, one has to stand with solid facts, evidence and the legal process,” she said.Arya maintained that the state govt had acted swiftly in the case, leading to the arrest of three accused, who were subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.Stay updated with the latest Dehradun news. Download the TOI App.