What is the Ankita Bhandari case, and why has Rahul Gandhi added weight to her parents’ protest

The Ankita Bhandari case involves the 2022 murder of a 19-year-old receptionist in Uttarakhand, who was allegedly pressured into providing sexual services to guests at the resort where she worked. The case has gained renewed national attention due to the protest at India Gate led by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alongside Ankita's parents.

The family has demanded that the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim be put on hold until the CBI investigation into the case is completed. The family alleges that an unidentified VIP was involved in the circumstances leading to Ankita's murder and has named Gautam in its allegations. Gautam has denied any involvement and initiated defamation proceedings against those accusing him.

The protest marks a fresh escalation in the case, with additional controversy surrounding allegations about a VIP who was allegedly seeking sexual favours from Ankita.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express - India's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.