Protest Demonstration at India Gate in Ankita Bhandari Case Today, Sunday 18 October, arrested
New Delhi:
Nearly a week after the midnight detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents from India Gate, a fresh protest demonstration demanding justice for Ankita and cancellation of Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor is being held near India Gate today, Sunday, 18 October 2026.
The call for the protest has been given by various student organizations, women’s groups, Uttarakhand associations in Delhi and Congress-backed organizations, days after Ankita’s parents sat on a dharna at India Gate on October 14 and were detained around 4 AM on October 15.
Organizers started a demonstration near India Gate as the entire area was barricaded . The protestors holding playcard demanding revocation of the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Governor , Sikkim and other demands . Several prominent social activists like CPI, ( ML ) leader Comrade Indresh Maikhuri , Mohit Dimri, Trilochan Bhatt and others had come to Delhi and participated in this protest demonstration. The protestors were arrested and taken to the nearby police station. There were raising slogans demanding Justice for Ankita and Revocation of Dushyant Goutam’s appointment as Governor. There was not a single BJP Uttarakhandi activist or leader in this protest demonstration who are always welcomed and garlanded at Garhwal Bhawan by its office bearers praising them in majority of the functions. The moot point is if they can’t stand with their community in this just cause seeking justice for an Uttarakhand’s sister or daughter Ankita Bhandari then what for they are garlended and lauded by the biggest representative Sanstha of Garhwalies in Delhi ? They should answer this question ? Can’t they ask them as to why these leaders are skipping from such genuine protests. Aren’t they selfish and completely exposed now for their double standards ? Shame in them
The demands of the aggrieved parents and protestors are :
1. Immediate cancellation / deferment of oath of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim till the CBI investigation into the VIP angle in Ankita Bhandari case is complete and his statement is recorded.
2. Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe and narco-analysis tests on former MLA Suresh Rathore, Yamkeshwar MLA Renu Bisht and actress Urmila Sanawar whose audio-video clips have brought new facts in the case.
3. Action against Delhi Police for the 4 AM detention of Ankita’s parents Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi from a peaceful sit-in at India Gate on October 15.
Ankita Bhandari’s parents, who were released from Tilak Marg Police Station around 5 AM after the last detention, are also expected to join today’s protest along with several Uttarakhand activists. Congress leaders including Youth Congress and NSUI are likely to participate.
Delhi Police has tightened security arrangements around India Gate in view of the protest. Organizers have appealed for a peaceful demonstration.
Ankita Bhandari, 19, working as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort, was murdered in September 2022 allegedly after refusing to provide extra services to a VIP. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two others are serving life imprisonment awarded on May 30, 2025. A CBI team was formed on February 2, 2026 to probe the alleged VIP angle after new audio-video clips by Urmila Sanawar surfaced last December.
