Despite the scanning of over 40,000 mobile phone locations and 800 CCTV cameras from Rishikesh to Haridwar, the identity of the so-called “VIP” linked to the Ankita Bhandari murder case remains a mystery. Ankita, who worked at Vanantara Resort, had informed her friend Pushpdeep about a high-profile guest expected at the resort and that Pulkit Arya was pressuring her to provide “extra service” to this VIP.
After Ankita’s body was recovered and the murder was exposed on 23 September 2022, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of DIG P. Renuka. During the probe, the SIT examined mobile tower dumps covering the area near Vanantara Resort to track down every individual whose phone was active in the vicinity during the time of the incident. Simultaneously, CCTV footage from major roads between Rishikesh and Haridwar was reviewed in detail.
The SIT interrogated several individuals whose phone signals were detected near the resort and also questioned multiple people known to have visited the resort. However, none of the leads have revealed the identity of the VIP Ankita mentioned.
DIG Renuka later stated that Vanantara Resort had a VIP suite and that every guest who stayed there was referred to as a “VIP”. However, the investigation failed to determine which guest Pulkit Arya allegedly wanted Ankita to serve inappropriately. The ambiguity around the VIP’s identity has raised public concerns, with many still demanding transparency and justice in the case.
