Ankita Bhandari murder case: My image has been harmed, I’m in distress, says BJP’s Dushyant Gautam

New Delhi: BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam on Wednesday welcomed the Delhi High Court’s decision granting him interim relief in a defamation suit and directing the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and several other defendants to take down social media posts that allegedly linked him to the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Reacting to the court’s order, Gautam said Opposition parties were repeatedly invoking the Ankita Bhandari case because they had no substantive issues to raise against the BJP in the state and were only attempting to defame the party and its leaders.

The murder of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist whose death in 2022 triggered widespread outrage across Uttarakhand, has once again returned to the centre of political and public discourse in the state.

The renewed controversy followed allegations levelled by television actor Urmila Sanawar on December 24, 2025, when she claimed that a senior BJP leader was the previously unidentified “VIP” allegedly linked to the case. She later named BJP National General Secretary and Uttarakhand incharge Dushyant Kumar Gautam, referring to him as “Gattu”.

Speaking to IANS, Gautam said, “Truth always prevails, and we have full faith in the justice system because we trust that it works according to the Constitution. Unfortunately, the daughter was murdered, and the way Congress has raised the matter repeatedly over the past six months is very disappointing. They do not have any topic to raise against the BJP, and they are only raising the VIP issue in the Ankita Bhandari case. The AAP, Congress and even UKD join this chorus.”

The BJP has categorically rejected the fresh allegations. Gautam termed them defamatory and politically motivated, stating that he had approached the Chief Minister’s office seeking a formal probe into the matter.

“They have tried to defame me, hurt my image. They have also tried to insult that daughter. And today, the court has ordered the AAP, Congress and others to remove all the social media posts linking me to the case,” he added.

Gautam also asserted that he was not present in Uttarakhand at the time the crime took place.

“It is true that my image has been harmed, which is why I am distressed, but I know these people are lying. At first, I was not getting affected, but when it became too much, I had to take the matter forward myself. I filed a Rs 2 crore defamation case and submitted all the necessary evidence. We believe that justice will be served,” he said.

The BJP leader alleged that the latest claims were part of a larger attempt to damage his party politically. He described Urmila Sanawar and former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore as “tools” being used by the Congress to target the party.

“I don’t know why, but I assume there is definitely animosity towards the party. Hence, they raised the name of the VIP. Whether they admit it or not, there was pressure, and the BJP’s name was repeatedly brought up. Urmila Sanawar, the woman who took my name, as well as Suresh Rathore, who was suspended from the party, were tools of the Congress party,” Gautam told IANS.

“I have complete faith. I believe in my mind, in my heart, and in my honesty and truthfulness,” he added.

The developments come after Sanawar released an audio clip purportedly featuring Suresh Rathore, in which he allegedly blamed Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the “VIP” mentioned in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

The original case relates to the murder of Ankita Bhandari at the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh.

During the initial investigation, one of Ankita’s friends told the police that she was under pressure to “entertain” and “give special services” to a VIP guest. While this claim received wide attention at the time, the alleged “VIP” angle was not included in the chargesheet.

In May 2025, a trial court convicted Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP leader, and two others, sentencing them to life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Gautam insists that his long-standing political career is under attack through what he has labelled a smear campaign.

IANS