Rahul Gandhi condemns detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents, questions rush to appoint Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor

New Delhi, Oct 15 : Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday condemned the reported detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents at India Gate, accusing the authorities of targeting a grieving family seeking justice and questioning the urgency behind the proposed appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor before the completion of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into their daughter’s death.

In a post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi said Ankita’s parents had been detained around 4 am while sitting peacefully at India Gate to demand that Gautam’s appointment be deferred until the investigation was completed.

Questioning the action against the bereaved family, Gandhi said their only demand was that Gautam should not be appointed Governor until the CBI investigation into Ankita’s death was complete.

The Congress leader said he and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had met the family a day earlier. He alleged that the gubernatorial appointment was being expedited even as the parents’ demand for a thorough investigation remained unresolved.

Gandhi accused the authorities of attempting to silence those seeking accountability and said the treatment of Ankita’s parents reflected a broader pattern of suppressing voices questioning those in power. He reaffirmed the Congress party’s support for the family and pledged that it would continue to stand with them until justice was delivered.

The reported detention has renewed public and political attention on the death of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who worked as a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. She was found dead in September 2022, triggering widespread public outrage and protests demanding accountability and a transparent investigation.

The case has remained under scrutiny amid allegations concerning influential connections and the circumstances surrounding her death.

The latest political controversy centres on the family’s demand that Gautam’s proposed appointment as Sikkim Governor be deferred until the CBI investigation is completed. Rahul Gandhi’s intervention has intensified the debate over the handling of the case, with the Congress reiterating its commitment to supporting the family in its pursuit of justice for Ankita.