Rahul Gandhi demands justice for Ankita Bhandari, killed at resort

Rahul Gandhi met Ankita Bhandari's parents on Friday and on Saturday said four years after her murder, the family still awaits justice. The 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantara Resort was killed for allegedly resisting demands of a VIP guest. Mr Gandhi said the post-mortem report indicated violence and drowning, and that her room was demolished before any investigation, which he called suspicious.

He accused the Uttarakhand government of protecting the VIP because he is a prominent BJP-RSS leader. Mr Gandhi said the BJP protects rapists and criminals, and called for eradicating the mentality that treats women as objects. "India will move forward only when India's women move forward, with respect, safety, equality, and justice," he said. The case dates to August 2022.