Ankita Murder Case: People's anger was visible during the verdict, barricades were broken, and police dispersed them by spraying water

Posted on 31st May 2025 by rohit kumar

Given the verdict in the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, the district police and administration had made strong security arrangements by barricading every road around the court. People from various organizations kept protesting in front of the barricades demanding the death penalty for the murderers.

 

Many times the protesters had a heated argument with the police. In Simalchaud, near the RTO intersection towards Sukhro Bridge, the protesters tried to break a part of the barricade and enter inside, on which the police dispersed the crowd by spraying water twice.

 

The police detained three women including UKD leader Urmila Rawat who were crossing the barricade and going towards the court premises and locked them in a van. At the same time, the Youth Congress District President and former District President were injured during the demonstration on the barricade near the court towards Devi Road. While the State President of Mahila Congress Jyoti Rautela climbed the barricade and reached inside. Female police personnel kept a constant watch on them till the court's decision came.

 

Police put up barricades on every road.

 

On Friday, a large number of people from Srinagar, Pauri, Dehradun, Ramnagar, Rishikesh, Haldwani, and many other places reached Kotdwar along with officials of various organizations including Justice for Ankita Committee, Mahila Patanjali Yoga Samiti, Congress, UKD, Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha, Uttarakhand Berojgar Sangathan, Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, along with other officials of various organizations regarding the Ankita murder case. But the police put up barricades on every road around the court premises and did not let anyone go inside.

 

, in front of the barricades on the eastern end of the court, Tadiyal Chowk direction, and ARTO intersection, they kept raising slogans against the state government throughout the day and demanding the hanging of the murder accused.

 

The former district president was injured by the wire on the barricades.

 

Around 11:30 in the morning, suddenly there was a scuffle between the protesters and the police. After which former Youth Congress District President Amitraj and State President of Mahila Congress Jyoti Rautela started climbing the barricades. Police pulled former District President Amitraj down from the barricades, due to which his hand got injured by the wire on the barricades. Jyoti Rautela climbed the barricades and came inside. After this, Congress workers again started raising slogans and tried to enter inside.

 

During this, a policeman attacked Youth Congress District President Vijay Rawat with a stick. After this, there was a long argument between the police and Congress workers. At the same time, near the RTO intersection, at 1:00 pm, the protesters suddenly became violent and some protesters broke a part of the barricades.

 

Three women were forcibly put into the van.

 

Seeing the protesters trying to enter inside, the police dispersed them by spraying water from the fire department vehicle. After some time, the protesters again became violent, on the police dispersed them by spraying water.

 

During this, three women including UKD leader Urmila Rawat, and Saraswati Devi entered inside, on the police forcibly put them in the van. During this, CO Niharika Semwal and Kotwal Ramesh Tanbar tried to convince the protesters several times, but the protesters did not agree. The crowd calmed down only after the court's decision.

 

Ankita Bhandari's three murderers were sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000

 

In Uttarakhand's much-discussed Ankita Bhandari murder case, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Reena Negi gave its verdict on Friday. The court has sentenced the three murder accused Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta to rigorous life imprisonment under section 302 (murder) of IPC.

 

The three accused have been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each under section 201 (concealing evidence). All the three accused have been found guilty under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, in which all three have been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000.

 

Pulkit Arya has also been found guilty under Section 354 (A) (molestation and outraging the modesty of a woman) and has been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. The court has directed the government to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the parents of the deceased. On May 19, the ADJ court, while completing the hearing of the Ankita murder case, had fixed May 30 as the date for the verdict.

 

In view of Friday's verdict, tight security arrangements were made in the court premises by the government, police and administration. The court proceedings started at around 10:30. The court heard both the sides on the question of punishment. Special Public Prosecutor Avnish Negi, Prosecution Officer Rajiv Dobhal were present in the court on behalf of the prosecution, while advocate Jitendra Singh Rawat was present on behalf of the defense. All three accused were brought to the court from their jails.

 

With 47 witnesses and 236 pieces of evidence, the court wrote the verdict on 160 pages.

 

47 witnesses were called for testimony during the proceedings in the Ankita Bhandari murder case which went on for about two months and eight months. While a total of 260 evidences were presented. Witnesses also testified from the defense side and nine evidences were presented in the court. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court wrote the verdict in a total of 160 pages in this case on Friday.