Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday announced that the state government has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case, The New Indian Express reported.

Bhandari worked as a receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh that was owned by Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. She went missing on September 18, 2022. A day later, Pulkit Arya, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar and assistant manager Ankit Gupta filed a missing person report.

However, they later confessed to killing Bhandari by pushing her into a canal after an altercation. Bhandari’s body was recovered from the Chilla Canal in Rishikesh six days after she had gone missing.

The BJP expelled Vinod Arya and his other son Ankit Arya after the matter came to light.

Evidence recovered later, such as WhatsApp messages from Bhandari to a friend, seemed to show that the men were allegedly trying to force Bhandari into prostitution. It was claimed that she was killed for refusing to provide “special services” to a “VIP”.

In May 2025, Pulkit Arya, Bhaskar and Gupta were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Dhami’s announcement on Friday came two days after a meeting between the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Bhandari’s parents. During this meeting, the parents handed Dhami a letter requesting a CBI investigation into her death under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge, The Times of India reported.

The parents, in the letter, alleged that their daughter had been killed because of a “VIP” whose identity was still not known.

The Opposition Congress and several civic groups have also held protests in recent days over the matter.

In a statement on Friday, the chief minister said that the state government had approved the recommendation for a CBI investigation “respecting the request and deep sentiments” of Bhandari’s parents.

He added that the state government remained committed to ensuring justice in a manner that was fair, transparent and sensitive, PTI reported. Swift action had also been taken earlier after the incident, including the setting up of a Special Investigation Team, he added.

“All the accused were promptly arrested, and strong legal representation was ensured, as a result of which no bail was granted during the investigation or trial,” the news agency quoted Dhami as saying.

The chief minister further said that separate first information reports had been filed in connection with audio clips circulating on social media, which were being investigated.

In December, actress Urmila Sanawar uploaded videos and an audio recording of her alleged phone conversation with her supposed former husband in which a senior leader of the BJP was allegedly mentioned.

Following the social media posts, the Congress and other Opposition parties had demanded a CBI investigation in the matter.

On Wednesday, the High Court, while hearing in a defamation petition, ordered the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, Sanawar and the others to take down the allegedly defamatory posts linking the senior BJP leader to the case. The matter will be heard next on May 4.

On Friday, Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal said that the decision on the CBI probe was a “partial victory” but raised concerns about the impartiality of the investigation.

“The CBI is controlled by the same party [BJP] that rules both the Centre and the state,” the news agency quoted him as saying. “Questions regarding the agency’s credibility are therefore natural.”

Godiyal said that the case warranted monitoring by a sitting judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court. Only such supervision could ensure that the full truth comes out, he added.