Delhi police release Ankita Bhandari’s parents after detaining them during overnight sit-in at India Gate

Delhi police have released Ankita Bhandari’s parents, who were detained during an overnight sit-in at India Gate in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Congress said they were released on Thursday (15 October). Several leaders and activists of the party detained at the same protest were also released later.

The sit-in demanded justice for Ankita, who was killed in Uttarakhand in 2022, and a suspension of the decision to appoint BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as governor of Sikkim. The family says Gautam should not be appointed to the constitutional post before a central investigation into the alleged involvement of an influential person in the murder is completed.

Police detained the protesters, including Ankita’s parents, early on Thursday. They were taken to Tilak Marg police station. Congress said the family members went to a relative’s home after their release.

After being detained, Ankita’s father told reporters they would continue their movement until justice was secured for their daughter. He also spoke of holding protests across the country unless Gautam’s appointment was cancelled.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the protest site and met the family. They expressed support for the demands of Ankita’s parents.

Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate and others criticised the police action. They alleged that the protesters had been detained instead of addressing the concerns of a family that had long been seeking justice. The party also alleged that women taking part in the protest had been mistreated.

Ankita’s family and several rights activists have been alleging Gautam’s involvement in the murder. However, the allegations against him have not been proven. Gautam has denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit over attempts to link his name to the case.

Ankita Bhandari, 19, worked as a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. She was murdered in September 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal on 24 September that year.

On 30 May 2025, a court convicted resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, and sentenced them to life imprisonment in the case. They were sentenced for offences including murder and destruction of evidence.

Despite the sentencing of the three, the family has continued to demand an investigation into whether any other influential person was involved. That demand and the decision to appoint Gautam as governor have prompted Ankita’s parents to launch fresh protests.