Uttarakhand: In Ankita’s case, the march to the Chief Minister’s residence will take place on January 4

Following the new developments in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, all public interest social organizations and opposition parties have jointly announced a statewide movement.

In the first phase of the movement, the Chief Minister’s residence will be gheraoed (surrounded) on January 4th. A march will be held from Parade Ground towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Social organizations across the state will also be urged to hold protests at all district and tehsil headquarters.

At a meeting held today at the Shaheed Smarak (Martyrs’ Memorial), following an appeal by the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch (Uttarakhand Women’s Forum), it was decided that further strategies would be planned after the march to the Chief Minister’s residence. These strategies include road blockades across Dehradun and the rest of the state, and public awareness campaigns on various issues affecting the state. Separate committees have also been formed to ensure the success of the January 4th march to the Chief Minister’s residence.

The meeting decided that through this march, the state government would be demanded to have the allegations made by Urmila Sanawar, and the audio and video recordings related to them, investigated by the CBI under the supervision of a committee headed by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge. It will also be demanded that this committee include at least four members from social organizations and opposition parties. Furthermore, the removal of BJP State General Secretary (Organization) Ajay Kumar and State In-charge Dushyant Gautam from their posts until the completion of the investigation, and security for Urmila Sanawar, will also be demanded.

Representatives at the meeting stated that the people of Uttarakhand have been deeply troubled by the feeling that complete justice has not been served in the Ankita Bhandari case. The VIP responsible for the murder has been completely protected. This has also raised concerns among the people that although the lower court sentenced the three accused to life imprisonment due to public pressure and the circumstantial evidence, the case might not stand in the higher courts, and the three accused might escape punishment due to the government’s lack of seriousness.