Ankita Bhandari : A Girl Waiting for Justice
A 19-year-old girl from a financially poor family, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Ganga-Bhogpur near Rishikesh, was murdered on 18 September 2022 for denying sexual favours to a “VIP”. The resort was owned by Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. Her body was recovered from the Chilla Shakti Canal nearly a week later, triggering widespread protests in Uttarakhand, but to this day, she has not received justice.
Justice has been denied to her because some prominent political leaders from the BJP are linked to this case. The so-called VIP in this case is Dushyant Gautam, whose name was mentioned by her parents. Now, the BJP government at the Centre has appointed Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim. Ankita was constantly pressurised by Pulkit Arya and his friends to provide sexual services to some prominent people. In May 2025, a local court convicted Pulkit Arya, Ankit Gupta, and Saurabh Bhaskar and sentenced all three to life imprisonment, but the “VIP” named in connection with her murder is still roaming free and, allegedly due to the favouritism of the Modi government, has been appointed as Governor.
It is not a surprising or unusual event in India; girls from poor family backgrounds migrate to cities in search of work or jobs and often face the lustful gazes of men, while many opt to remain silent just to avoid creating trouble for themselves. Rape, molestation, and lustful gazes are common in a male-dominated, lust-driven society. But what was Ankita’s fault? Was she wrong for doing her job? Were her rights secondary, with her poverty being the primary defining factor in her life? What was her fault?
We, as a society, a democracy, and a people’s government, failed her. We failed her parents; we failed every girl who wants dignity, a life, and success. Our government not only denied justice to Ankita Bhandari but also failed our society as a whole. Every government’s primary goal is to build a just society that adheres to the principles of law, scientific temper, equality, and liberty, irrespective of gender and sex. But if the government itself seeks to destroy evidence to protect the culprit because he belongs to the ruling party, then the government is betraying the people and destroying the very fabric of society.
The BJP government headed by Narendra Modi has defeated the soul and spirit of ‘Swaraj’. Swaraj is not just self-rule or independence; it also encompasses women’s rights and justice for them. Ankita Bhandari’s Swaraj was decimated by a lust-seeking ‘VIP’ who allegedly enjoys the patronage of higher authorities in the Centre and has now been appointed as Governor.
At the judicial level, we have also failed her. Our judiciary has a motto that says, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” In the case of Ankita Bhandari, justice has been both delayed and denied. Our judicial system has failed to uphold the consciousness of justice for the last person seeking it in our wide and diverse nation. The most terrifying part is the state of societal consciousness: we, as a society, have fallen short of keeping our conscience intact in our hearts and minds. No government or law of the land can delay or deny justice to any citizen in the country if we stand united in demanding justice for anyone who has been victimised. But where is the voice of society, except for that of a few people who are protesting or holding candle marches to demand justice for Ankita? We barely see anyone raising their voice for her. It is a collective failure of the judicial system, society, individuals, and the government.
If the government goes wrong and is indirectly involved in protecting the prominent ‘VIP’ because he belongs to the ruling party, what is our duty as free citizens of society and the nation? The same thing happened in Hathras when a Dalit girl was raped and killed, and the police, under the command of the Uttar Pradesh government, burned her body using gasoline. It was only after Rahul Gandhi protested that the Uttar Pradesh government ordered an FIR to be filed and transferred the investigation to the CBI. The same thing happened in the Ankita Bhandari case; it has been almost four years since her murder, but the CBI has still not been able to secure a conviction against the ‘VIP’.
Under the current dispensation, our society has been at the receiving end. The ideas of the RSS and Hindutva are penetrating the ethos of Indian-ness and destroying tolerance, justice, brotherhood, and liberty. We must open our eyes and sharpen our senses to understand the damage being done to our social fabric. It is not just about Ankita Bhandari; it is about ensuring that every girl and woman in our nation feels the spirit of justice and experiences its prevailing consciousness in the air we breathe as independent citizens. Our liberty has no value if we are not a just society.
We need to be empathetic as a social group; we must possess a consciousness of justice without depending solely on the rule of law. Law and the judiciary are instruments for delivering justice, but as human beings, we must feel the need for justice. Only then can we remain true to human values and fulfil our duties as a social group.
Robert Yadav, Ganpat Ram