Now Reading: Court orders narco test for actor Urmila Sanawar in Ankita Bhandari case
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Court orders narco test for actor Urmila Sanawar in Ankita Bhandari case
Court orders narco test for actor Urmila Sanawar in Ankita Bhandari case
The Story in Brief
A CBI court in Dehradun on Friday (13 November 2026) ordered actor Urmila Sanawar to undergo narco-analysis and polygraph tests in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The tests will be conducted in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, though the date has not been fixed. Her lawyer, Shivani Tomar, said a medical examination is expected by the third week of November before the narco-analysis date is confirmed.
Sanawar has alleged the involvement of a 'VIP' in the 2022 murder of 19-year-old Bhandari, who was killed by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees. The New Indian Express reported Sanawar's claim that Swami Darshan Bharti offered her a Scorpio and Rs 25 lakh to skip the test. The Indian Express reported that Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam, whom Sanawar identified as the alleged VIP, has denied the allegations and initiated defamation proceedings. The CBI is investigating the authenticity of audio clips Sanawar released in December 2025.
Update, 13 November 2026: The new report from The Hindu confirms the court order and adds that a medical examination is likely by the third week of November before the narco-analysis date is confirmed. It also notes that Sanawar was arrested in October on a separate complaint and has since been granted bail in some cases.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Five of the six outlets carried neutral PTI-style copy, giving the same core facts: a CBI court ordered narco tests, a medical exam is due by late November, and the CBI is probing audio clips. The New Indian Express alone led with Sanawar's allegation that Swami Darshan Bharti offered her Rs 25 lakh and a Scorpio to skip the test, and her broader claim of a police conspiracy. That framing prioritises drama over the court order itself. The uniform PTI copy provides the reliable spine: a procedural step in a long-running investigation, with the next concrete milestone being the medical exam expected by the third week of November.
Coverage: 4 sources, 3 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (4): newindianexpress.com (sensationalist), PTI (carried by deccanherald.com, mathrubhumi.com, theprint.in), indianexpress.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
