Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the parents of Ankita Bhandari in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Together, they staged a sit-in near India Gate against the appointment of former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.
Activist Yogita Bhayana also joined the protest, during which Ankita’s parents requested President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and ensure that the investigation examined all allegations related to the case.
“Even though the CBI probe is underway, it is depending on the statements of witnesses in lower court. Statements of Urmila Sanawar and Suresh Rathore should be included in the investigation. The call details of the accused were not examined. “We were hurt by the appointment of Kumar as governor. The protest at India Gate came a day after the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UKPCC), led by its president Ganesh Godiyal, held a silent demonstration in Dehradun against Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor. “The allegation was that pressure was put on Ankita to provide services to Dushyant Gautam. When Ankita refused, she was murdered,” the Congress alleged. It accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of rewarding Gautam with the gubernatorial appointment despite the allegations against him. Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Congress leaders. Gautam’s involvement in the case.
Gautam served as the BJP’s Uttarakhand in-charge from November 2020 to August 2026, a period during which the party recorded several electoral victories in the state. The Congress accused the BJP-led Centre of protecting Gautam following his appointment as Sikkim governor, alleging that the decision undermined the demand for justice in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. He was appointed the governor of Sikkim on Monday (October 12, 2026).
“I request the President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar as governor until the CBI investigation is complete,” he said. I request the President, who is a woman and will understand my sentiments, to halt the appointment of Kumar as governor,” she said. He had earlier met Bhandari’s parents in August and had said four years have passed and they are still awaiting justice for an unforgivable crime against their daughter.
Earlier reporting noted: Mr. Earlier reporting noted: Bhandari’s parents staged a protest near India Gate, demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as the Sikkim Governor be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into their daughter’s murder case is complete. Earlier reporting noted: Bhandari’s parents have alleged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mr.
He was appointed Sikkim governor on Monday.
