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CBI Opens New Inquiry Into 'VIP' Angle in Ankita Bhandari Case

A fresh FIR and the questioning of a former MLA could broaden the probe into social‑media allegations about a powerful figure.

Members and supporters of Congress Seva Dal hold a candle march demanding justice in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
Congress’ Uttarakhand-in-charge Kumari Selja (sitting pillion on a bike at the front) leads a protest march in Dehradun on Friday against Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor. (HT PHOTO)
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Overview

  • Ankita Bhandari’s parents met senior CBI officials on Friday and asked the agency to investigate viral audio and video claiming a 'VIP' role in their daughter’s 2022 murder.
  • The CBI has registered a separate case against unknown persons to pursue the alleged 'VIP' angle rather than reopen the trial that convicted three men in 2025.
  • A CBI team questioned former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore at a guest house in Haridwar as part of the new inquiry and is pursuing other leads from the material circulating online.
  • The three men convicted in May 2025—resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees—remain serving life sentences while the CBI's action creates a distinct, federal line of inquiry.
  • Family protests in Delhi and political attention have pushed the state to request a CBI probe, the parents have sought narco‑tests for Rathore and an actress, and authorities have said narco‑analysis carries limited legal weight.