Now Reading: CBI quizzes ex-BJP MLA Suresh Rathore in Ankita Bhandari case
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CBI quizzes ex-BJP MLA Suresh Rathore in Ankita Bhandari case
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday, 17 October 2026 began questioning former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore at a guest house in Haridwar in the 2022 murder of 19-year-old resort receptionist Ankita Bhandari. The questioning came a day after Bhandari's parents met senior CBI officials and demanded narco tests on Rathore and actress Urmila Sanawar, citing a viral audio recording they say implicates a senior BJP leader.
Bhandari's parents have also demanded that Dushyant Kumar Gautam, appointed Sikkim Governor on 12 October, not assume office until the CBI probe into an alleged VIP angle is complete. The BJP's Sikkim unit has backed Gautam's appointment and called for an independent investigation. Opposition parties in Sikkim, including the SDF and Congress, have staged protests demanding the probe be completed before Gautam takes charge.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Pro-government coverage, such as Rediff, leads with the BJP Sikkim unit's support for Gautam and calls for an independent probe, while omitting the CBI questioning of Rathore. Critical coverage, such as Hindustan Times and The Federal, leads with the CBI action and the parents' narco test demand, foregrounding the unresolved VIP allegation. India Today NE and The Federal report both the CBI step and the protests, while Rediff foregrounds party statements. The divergence is clear: one side centres the institutional process, the other centres the outstanding allegation. The common ground is the CBI assurance of a fair probe, what remains open is whether the investigation will reach a finding before Gautam is sworn in.
Bhandari's parents have also demanded that Dushyant Kumar Gautam, appointed Sikkim Governor on 12 October, not assume office until the CBI probe into an alleged VIP angle is complete.
Coverage: 6 sources, 1 pro-government, 5 neutral
Sources (6): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), news.google.com (neutral report), rediff.com (pro government), thefederal.com (neutral report), indiatodayne.in (neutral report), indiatodayne.in (2) (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
