The Uttarakhand government has recommended a CBI investigation in these three cases in the last 7 months…

Political turmoil continues in Uttarakhand over the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Given the widespread uproar in the state regarding this case, the state government has approved a CBI investigation. However, this is not the first time that a CBI investigation has been approved after an SIT investigation; in fact, within the last seven months, the state government has recommended a CBI investigation after an SIT probe in several cases. Within the last year alone, the state government has recommended CBI investigations in three different cases.

First SIT, then CBI investigation: Whenever a major case comes to light in Uttarakhand, the state government immediately constitutes an SIT for investigation, to ensure a thorough inquiry. In the last seven months, several such cases have emerged in Uttarakhand, leading to public outrage. In 2025, the Uttarakhand government recommended CBI investigations in two serious cases. One involved a fraud case by the LUCC company in Uttarakhand, amounting to over 100 crore rupees, for which the state government approved a CBI investigation. Similarly, in the UKSSSC paper leak case, the state government approved a CBI investigation in response to public anger.

Uproar over actress Urmila Sanawar’s audio: Similarly, after some audio clips related to the Ankita Bhandari murder case went viral on social media, there has been widespread unrest in the state for the past 15 to 20 days. The main opposition party, Congress, along with other opposition parties and social organizations, are continuously protesting across the state. Initially, after the audio clips were leaked by actress Urmila Sanawar, political parties and various organizations demanded a CBI investigation. Following this, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that he would meet with Ankita Bhandari’s parents to understand their wishes and then make a decision based on their demands. CM Dhami meets Ankita’s parents: In this context, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with Ankita Bhandari’s parents on the evening of January 7th and assured them that a decision would be made on their demands as soon as possible. Following this, on January 9th, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami approved a CBI investigation, considering the political turmoil in the state and the demands of Ankita’s parents. Despite this, the political controversy surrounding the Ankita Bhandari case continues in Uttarakhand. However, this is the first case in 2026 where the state government has approved a CBI investigation to examine crucial facts related to the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

CBI investigation into paper leak and LUCC financial fraud: Paper leak cases have surfaced in Uttarakhand before, but after a paper leak incident in 2025, the state’s youth started protests and demonstrations. Widespread public outrage also erupted across the state. On September 21st, a case of a paper leak from one center during the graduate-level recruitment examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission came to light. The state government formed an SIT to investigate the matter. However, the state’s youth started protesting, demanding the cancellation of the exam and a CBI investigation. Considering the seriousness of the matter and the public outrage, CM Dhami canceled the exam and approved a CBI investigation on September 29th.

Outrage over LUCC financial fraud: Furthermore, a case of fraud amounting to over Rs. 100 crore by the LUCC company came to light in Uttarakhand. This incident sparked considerable outrage among the people of the state. Numerous cases were being filed against the LUCC company, especially in the hilly regions of the state. However, the company’s operations extended beyond Uttarakhand to several other states, leading to continuous demands for a CBI investigation. Several petitions were also filed in the High Court regarding this matter. Initially, an SIT was investigating the entire case. But on July 23, 2025, the state government approved a CBI investigation based on public demand. What Ganesh Godiyal said: Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal said that the opposition does its job. The opposition’s job is to put pressure on the government and work in the interest of the public. If the government is being forced to accept investigations at this time, it is due to the pressure from the opposition. He expressed his satisfaction that they are fulfilling their duty effectively. He also stated that it is clear that the SIT (Special Investigation Team) favored the criminals and the government. Therefore, when the time comes, action will be taken against those SIT officers who protected the culprits at the behest of the government. Any investigation that needs to be conducted by the CBI will be carried out, as that is what the CBI is for.

BJP says opposition is devoid of issues: BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt said that the opposition has become devoid of issues and has no issues left. Moreover, it’s an election year, and therefore, a perception is being created in the state to sow distrust in the state government’s investigations. The truth is that in addition to the Ankit case, the state government has conducted rigorous investigations through SITs in other cases where CBI investigations were also ordered. As a result, the culprits are behind bars. Despite this, the opposition is trying to spoil the atmosphere by giving new illogical arguments, while the Chief Minister respects public sentiment. In such a situation, the results of the CBI investigation will be the same as the results of the SIT investigation.