Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India] 27 September, : After the body of Ankita Bhandari was recovered from a canal in Uttrakhand, a former employee of the resort in Rishikesh at which the deceased 19-year-old worked, recounted that the resort's ower who is among the prime accused arrested for the teen's murder was notorious for misbehaving with women.
"I joined Vanantara resort in Rishikesh this May but left my job there in July. Ankit Gupta (accused) and Pulkit Arya (the main accused) misbehaved and verbally abused girls. They used to bring girls and many VIPs also used to come there," the former employee disclosed.
The body of Ankita Bhandari, 19, was recovered from the Chilla Canal in Rishikesh on September 24.
Three persons, including Pulkit Arya, the son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya and his friends identified as Ankit and Saurabh Bhaskar- manager at Pulkit's resort, were arrested on September 23 after they confessed to having pushed Ankita into the canal following an altercation.
DGP Ashok Kumar and DIG P Renuka Devi said the property (Vanantara resort), owned by Pulkit Arya was sealed after conducted a detailed videography on Thursday. "We have secured all the evidence," said the police officers.
Last rites of Ankita Bhandari were performed at the NIT ghat in Srinagar at Pauri Garwhal on September 25. Protestors blocked for over seven hours the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway outside the mortuary where Ankita Bhandari's father arrived to take her body for last rites.
Previously angry locals even set on fire the resort where Ankita worked.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said earlier: "We took immediate action, culprits are behind the bars. Their illegal properties were demolished too. We'll ensure SIT probe is done from every angle. We'll also try that case is expedited in a fast-track court."