Ankita Bhandari case: FIR registered against Ex-MLA, one other

Dehradun: Police have registered an FIR at Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun against Saharanpur resident Urmila Sanawar and former BJP MLA from Jwalapur in Haridwar, Suresh Rathore, in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

The case was filed on Thursday following a complaint by former district panchayat member Aarti Gaur, who alleged that the accused made baseless and defamatory remarks about her in a video circulating on social media, with the intent of damaging her reputation.

According to the police, the FIR has been registered under Section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, and Sections 308(7), 351(2), 352 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt criticised the Congress for repeatedly raising the issue of an alleged “VIP” in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, but failing to present any evidence when asked to do so. He said that if the Congress had been serious, it should have submitted its claims and proof before the court.

Bhatt pointed out that the Director General of Police had earlier issued a public appeal, urging anyone with information about a “VIP” allegedly involved in the case to come forward, but no one responded then or afterwards. He accused the Congress of indulging in “unnecessary conspiracy theories”, saying such actions disrespected the memory of the deceased.

Referring to the viral video, Bhatt said a complaint had already been lodged, describing it as manipulated and unverified. Despite this, he alleged, the Congress was attempting to use it as a political tool. He further claimed that the woman whose audio clip has gone viral has a controversial background and is alleged to have political motives.

Bhatt questioned Congress leaders for making allegations without verifying the authenticity of the audio, calling it another example of what he described as unethical politics. He demanded that Congress leaders issue an immediate public apology for making what he termed irresponsible statements.