Among the first to move High Court in Ankita Bhandari case, journalist called to Delhi for CBI questioning

Ashutosh Negi was arrested, and later released, in 2024 following a complaint lodged by a resident of Pauri Garhwal under the SC-ST Act. He had, in October 2022, approached the Uttarakhand HC seeking a CBI investigation in the case

Independent journalist and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Democratic) leader Ashutosh Negi, who was among the first to approach the High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the 2022 murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, has been summoned by the central agency in connection with the case. He is currently in Delhi for questioning.

Negi was asked to appear before the CBI's investigating team at its headquarters on Lodhi Road on Tuesday.

The development comes amid renewed scrutiny of the alleged VIP angle in the murder, following the circulation of an audio clip by actress Urmila Sanawar that purportedly refers to a powerful individual in connection with the case. Sanawar was arrested on Monday in connection with a separate case.

The CBI is investigating allegations concerning the possible involvement of the unidentified "VIP", even as three men have already been convicted in the murder case.

The investigation gathered pace following a protest by Ankita's parents in Delhi a couple of weeks ago where they were joined by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi seeking that the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim be kept on hold.

Earlier, Gautam had claimed that some social media posts falsely portrayed him as the "VIP" in the case. The former Uttarakhand BJP in-charge filed a defamation petition against the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, Sanawar, and others, for allegedly accusing him of being involved in the murder case.

Who is Ashutosh Negi?

Negi is an independent journalist and has also been associated with the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Democratic) - a registered, although unrecognised, political party in the hill state.

He emerged as one of the prominent voices questioning the investigation into Ankita's murder and demanding accountability beyond the three accused arrested by the Uttarakhand Police.

In October 2022, Negi approached the Uttarakhand HC seeking a CBI investigation into the case. His petition alleged that the police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had withheld crucial information. Among the concerns raised was the non-publication of Ankita's autopsy report and the demolition of the room at the resort where she had worked.

Ankita's parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, subsequently joined the petition as petitioners.

In December 2022, the High Court rejected the plea to transfer the investigation from the SIT to the CBI, expressing satisfaction with the state police's investigation at that stage. The state government had argued that the SIT was functioning independently and that there was no reason to doubt its work.

The demand for a CBI probe, however, continued among Ankita's family members and sections of the public, particularly over allegations that a VIP had sought sexual favours from her and that the circumstances surrounding those allegations required further investigation.

Arrested in 2024

Negi was arrested by Uttarakhand Police on March 5, 2024, following a complaint lodged by a resident of Pauri Garhwal. The FIR included provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

His arrest drew criticism from the Opposition, which alleged that the action was intended to silence those seeking justice for Ankita. The BJP rejected the allegations, maintaining that the case against Negi was unrelated to the murder investigation.

Then Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar questioned Negi's activities, alleging that they appeared to be part of a conspiracy to create unrest. The police maintained that they would take action if evidence emerged.

Negi's arrest also drew international attention. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the charges against him to be dropped, saying authorities should ensure that journalists could report without fear or interference. He was later released on bail.

The case and the unresolved VIP question

Ankita worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra resort near Rishikesh, managed by Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. She went missing in September 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal six days later.

The state police's SIT investigated the case and found that Ankita had been pressured to provide sexual services to guests, which she resisted. In May 2025, a court in Pauri Garhwal convicted Arya and his two associates, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, and sentenced all three to life imprisonment.

The convictions established the criminal responsibility of the three men in Ankita's murder. However, allegations concerning a possible VIP remained a separate issue.

In December 2025, Sanawar released purported audio and video recordings involving former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, whom she claimed was her husband. Rathore has denied that they were married and has disputed the authenticity of the audio.

The controversy gathered fresh momentum this year, following protests by Ankita's family and renewed demands for an investigation into the alleged VIP angle. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami subsequently recommended a CBI probe.