Overview
- Haridwar SP Shekhar Suyal said the person mentioned in chats was Ankita’s friend, Dharmendra Kumar alias Pradhan, not a VIP, citing resort records and staff statements.
- Uttarakhand Police issued a detailed clarification stating courts acknowledged no VIP involvement and said a separate SIT is examining the recent audio claims.
- Police said the crime scene was fully documented and evidence placed before courts, while reiterating that all three convicted accused remain in jail.
- A court issued a non-bailable warrant against Urmila Sanawar in an older case as police search for her across multiple cities; she alleges a BJP leader is the ‘VIP’, which the named leaders deny, and Rathore says the audio is AI-generated.
- Civil society groups and opposition parties plan a march to the chief minister’s residence on January 4 and held demonstrations in Dehradun and Delhi, pressing for a court‑supervised CBI probe; the state says it is ready for any inquiry if credible evidence is presented.