Sat May 31 03:39:21 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

In 2022, Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist, was murdered in Uttarakhand, India by a resort owner, Pulkit Arya, and two of his employees. In May 2025, a district court sentenced the three men to rigorous life imprisonment. Ankita’s parents, while acknowledging the verdict, expressed dissatisfaction and vowed to fight for the death penalty. They also called for an investigation into the possible involvement of a local politician and an unnamed VIP.

**News Article:**

**Ankita Bhandari Murder: Parents Seek Death Penalty After Life Sentences**

*Dehradun, May 31, 2025* – The parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old receptionist murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, have vowed to fight for the death penalty for her killers after a district court sentenced three men to rigorous life imprisonment on Friday.

Pulkit Arya, the owner of the Vanantra Resort where Bhandari worked, along with his employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were convicted of her murder and sentenced in Kotdwar. The court also imposed fines on the convicts.

While acknowledging the verdict, Ankita’s mother, Soni Devi, stated she would not be satisfied until the men are sentenced to death. “A bigger battle is yet to be fought so that the killers get the death penalty and people think a thousand times before doing this to anyone’s daughter,” she said, breaking into tears.

Ankita’s father, Virendra Bhandari, echoed his wife’s sentiments and announced plans to appeal the decision in the High Court. He also called for a thorough investigation into the potential involvement of a local BJP MLA, Renu Bisht, and an unnamed “VIP” whose names surfaced during the investigation.

Bhandari was murdered on September 18, 2022, after a dispute with Arya and his employees. Her body was recovered from the Cheela canal in Rishikesh, leading to the arrest of the three men. The case sparked widespread outrage across India.

Security was heightened at the Kotdwar court, with a large police presence deployed for the verdict.

Read More