Ankita Bhandari case | Uttarakhand Police file 500-page chargesheet
The Hindu
The court will hear the matter on December 22
The Uttarakhand police filed the chargesheet in the Ankita Bhandari murder case at Kotdwar court on Monday. In the 500-page chargesheet, the police recorded the statements of 100 witnesses and presented over 30 pieces of documentary evidences.
Pulkit Arya – son of a former State BJP Minister Vinod Arya – and two others, who had allegedly killed Ankita after she reportedly refused to “provide special service to VIP clients” who were visiting Arya’s resort where the victim used to work. The accused have been booked under Sections 354, 302, 201, 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3(1) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The court will hear the matter on December 22 and also consider granting permission for the narco test.
Addressing the media, Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order, V. Murugesan said that the police had to file chargesheet in the case within 90 days of filing the FIR.
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“We have recorded the statements of 100 witnesses in 86 days of investigation. Apart from this forensics, electronic evidences and post mortem report is also included in the chargesheet. After the hearing, the police is also planning to file a supplementary chargesheet will be filed separately on further investigations,” he added.
The police claimed that the main accused, Pulkit Arya, and one of his aides Saurabh have given consent for the narco and polygraph tests. The third accused in the case, Ankit, has sought time to decide on the same.
The police, as claimed in the chargesheet, found witnesses who were approached by the victim for help when she was being pressurised her to “provide special service to the clients”.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.