Dushyant Gautam’s arrival in Sikkim to be sworn in as the new Governor has ignited controversy due to his name surfacing in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Bhandari’s family has objected, demanding a fair CBI probe into the case.
Governor-designate of Sikkim Dushyant Gautam arrived at Burtuk Helipad in Gangtok on Sunday, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony scheduled to be held at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok on October 19. Upon arrival, the Governor was received by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, Deputy Speaker MLA Raj Kumari Thapa, Council of Ministers, MLAs, Mayor GMC and Councillors, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Political Advisors to CM, Advisors, Chairpersons, OSDs, along with senior Government officials. The Governor-designate of Sikkim was accorded a Guard of Honour by the Sikkim Armed Police at Burtuk Helipad upon his arrival.
The Governor-designate is scheduled to be sworn in as the Governor of Sikkim tomorrow. The oath will be administered by the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. Gautam was appointed by President Droupadi Murmu on October 12, succeeding Om Prakash Mathur, who has been transferred to Keralam.
Appointment Sparks Controversy Over Ankita Bhandari Case
This comes amid the row over Ankita Bhandari’s murder case, which has escalated following the appointment of former BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim. Parents of Ankita Bhandari met with senior officials at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters in Delhi and provided information regarding various aspects of the case. The CBI officials assured them that the investigation would be conducted in a fair and impartial manner, with a thorough examination of every aspect of the case.
Family Demands Transparency
Meanwhile, the family has demanded the immediate public disclosure of location details and call records for both Ajay Kumar and Dushyant Kumar spanning September 18–19, 2022. Questions were raised regarding an old mobile phone belonging to key accused Pulkit Arya, which the family claims the Special Investigation Team (SIT) failed to recover.
Background of the Murder Investigation
The row is linked to the September 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Her family has objected to any individual whose name surfaced during the investigation being appointed to constitutional office without being cleared by investigative agencies. She was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022. The resort owner Pulkit Arya (son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya) and two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were arrested, chargesheeted and on May 30, 2025, sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar for murder, destruction of evidence and other charges. Allegations of VIP involvement have surfaced in public discourse since the murder. The SIT probe mentioned “VIP” in relation to a room, but police stated the conviction was based on evidence against the three accused. Ankita Bhandari’s parents have long demanded the identity of the “VIP” guest mentioned in the case, alleging that powerful individuals have been shielded throughout the investigation. They argue that elevating a leader associated with such allegations to a high constitutional office undermines the pursuit of justice.
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