Ankita Bhandari murder: Parents detained during India Gate protest, released around 5 a.m.
The parents of Ankita Bhandari and several Congress leaders were detained by police during a protest at India Gate. The demonstrators are demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor be suspended pending a CBI investigation into his alleged involvement in the 2022 murder case.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing political tensions regarding the alleged involvement of high-ranking officials in criminal cases and the use of gubernatorial appointments to potentially shield individuals from legal scrutiny.
Parents of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, were released early on Thursday (October 15, 2026) morning, hours after being detained while protesting near India Gate.
Police detained the parents during the protest and released them around 5 a.m., sources said.
Several Congress leaders, including party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, social media department head Supritya Shrinate, and Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib, were also detained and later released.
The parents have been demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor be put on hold until the ongoing CBI investigation into the case is complete.
BJP leader Gautam's name has been repeatedly dragged into the case by Ankita's family and activists as the alleged VIP linked to it. He was appointed the Governor of Sikkim on Monday (October 12).
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