ADG Law and Order Murugeshan says we have no evidence against Gautam as VIP in Ankita Bhandari case
Dehradun:Uttarakhand Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Dr. V. Murugesan, IPS, today addressed a press conference at Police Headquarters, Dehradun regarding the fresh controversy in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
He emphasised that the probe was fair, transparent, upheld by courts.
Murugesan said as soon as information about the Ankita Bhandari incident came to light in September 2022, the government immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under a woman IPS officer, P. Renuka Devi.
All three accused – Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta – were promptly arrested and effective prosecution was ensured so that they did not get bail at any stage. The 500-page chargesheet with 97 witnesses was filed in Kotdwar court within 90 days.
He said petitions demanding CBI probe were filed in both Uttarakhand High Court and Supreme Court, but both courts found the SIT investigation fair, transparent and lawful and dismissed the pleas. The Kotdwar court in May 2025 sentenced all three to life imprisonment. The case is now before the High Court.
Referring to recent viral videos by actress Urmila Sanawar and alleged audio conversation with her husband and former BJP MLA from Jwalapur Suresh Rathore, where a person named ‘Gattu’ was alleged to be the VIP, Murugesan said Uttarakhand Police has registered two fresh FIRs – one in Dehradun and one in Haridwar – to probe the origin, authenticity and content of the clips.
“Based on the facts that emerge during the investigation, legal and effective action will be taken,” Murugesan said. He appealed to the public that if anyone has authentic evidence related to the murder, they should provide it to investigating agencies and not circulate misleading and baseless claims on social media.
When asked about Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s name being dragged as VIP and his appointment as Sikkim Governor, Murugesan reiterated that the SIT investigation had found no evidence of any VIP involvement. He said the Delhi High Court had also prima facie found posts linking Gautam to the case defamatory and baseless.
He said the CBI has now taken over records after CM Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a CBI probe on January 9, 2026, and the CBI Special Crime Branch is independently investigation.
On allegations that the resort was demolished overnight to destroy evidence, Murugesan said the entire investigation, including forensic and electronic evidence, post-mortem report, and FSL reports were part of the chargesheet and were examined by the court before conviction.
The press conference comes amid fresh protests by Ankita’s parents at India Gate and by Congress at Gandhi Park, Dehradun, demanding that Gautam’s gubernatorial appointment be put on hold till CBI probe is complete.
