Ankita Bhandari murder case: FIR registered against Ex-MLA, one other

Police have lodged an FIR at Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun, on Thursday, against Saharanpur resident Urmila Sanawar and former BJP MLA from Jwalapur, Haridwar, Suresh Rathore, in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
The action was taken after former district panchayat member Aarti Gaur filed a complaint alleging that the accused made baseless and defamatory statements, attempting to tarnish her image, in a video circulating on social media.
According to the police, an FIR has been registered under Section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, and Sections 308(7), 351(2), 352, and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against the two accused.
Earlier on Wednesday, BJP State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt launched an attack on Congress, which kept raising the issue of a so-called "VIP" in the Ankita murder case, but backed out when asked to present evidence at the appropriate time. He stated that if Congress had been serious about the matter, it could have given its statement and evidence before the court. At that time, the DGP issued a public appeal, asking anyone with information about a "VIP" to come forward.
He said, "No one did so then, nor is anyone doing so now. By indulging in unnecessary conspiracy theories around Ankita, Congress is also disrespecting the soul of the deceased girl."
He further said, "A complaint has been filed against an unverified viral video, terming it as manipulated, yet Congress is attempting to use it as a political weapon. The woman whose audio has gone viral has a well-known record and is alleged to have political motives. Despite this, Congress is trying to create a controversy for political gain."
Bhatt questioned the Congress leaders for making allegations without verifying the audio's authenticity, calling it yet another example of the height of their unethical politics. He said that Congress leaders should immediately issue a public apology for such irresponsible statements.

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