The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim relief to the main accused in the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case while hearing their appeal against the life imprisonment awarded by the trial court. The court has now fixed July 20 as the next date of hearing.
A division bench comprising Justices Ravindra Maithani and Siddharth Sah heard the petitions filed by Pulkit Arya and Saurabh Bhaskar, who have challenged the Kotdwar trial court’s verdict and sought bail during the pendency of their appeals.
During the hearing, counsel for the accused argued that Ankita Bhandari had died by suicide and claimed that their clients had no role in her death. On this basis, they requested the court to grant them bail.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution and the victim’s family argued that crucial evidence was allegedly destroyed after the incident. They submitted that parts of the resort were demolished, evidence was destroyed through fire, and WhatsApp chats formed an important part of the prosecution’s case. They also questioned why evidence was allegedly tampered with if the accused had no involvement in the crime.
The High Court did not grant any relief to the accused and scheduled the matter for further hearing on July 20.
The Kotdwar Sessions Court had, on May 30, 2025, convicted Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankita’s co-accused Ankith Gupta under Sections 302, 354A and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, sentencing them to life imprisonment for the murder of Ankita Bhandari.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 47 witnesses. While the defence argued that there were no eyewitnesses to the crime and that Ankita’s body was recovered from a canal, the prosecution relied on forensic evidence, location data and WhatsApp chats to support its case.
According to the prosecution, forensic analysis placed the accused near the crime scene. Investigators also alleged that CCTV cameras at the resort were switched off and the DVR was tampered with after the incident.
Ankita Bhandari, a resident of Dobh Srikot in Pauri district, was working at the Vanantara Resort near Rishikesh. The prosecution alleged that resort owner Pulkit Arya, along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankith Gupta, pushed her into the Chilla Barrage canal, leading to her death. All three accused were arrested during the investigation and remain in judicial custody.
