Ankita’s family refuses to perform last rite, locals’ spontaneous protest

Anger over the Ankita Bhandari death case poured onto the streets as the locals on Sunday blocked the Badrinath Rishikesh highway area in front of the base hospital where Ankita’s remains are kept.
The administration tried clearing the jam caused due to the barricading. The masses demanded the post-mortem report of the deceased and capital punishment for the culprits. The local market was shut on Sunday as people showed solidarity ahead of Ankita Bhandari’s funeral. Traders of Srinagar kept their business establishments wholly closed.
The development came ahead of Ankita’s funeral in Garhwal, Srinagar.
Earlier, the family of the deceased refused to perform the last rites as they demanded the handing over of the post-mortem report.
The administration on the other hand tried convincing Ankita’s family.
“We won’t conduct her last rites until her post-mortem report is given. We saw in her provisional report that she was beaten up and thrown in a river. But we’re awaiting the final report,” said Ajay Singh Bhandari, brother of Ankita Bhandari.
The SIT on Sunday said that her WhatsApp chats were also being probed.

Earlier on Saturday, the Vanatara resort in Rishikesh owned by expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit Arya, who is an accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, was set on fire by angry locals.
Anger over the horrific crime poured onto streets in other parts of Uttarakhand as well as locals jammed the bus station in Pauri. Protestors also gheraoed the District Magistrate’s office in Pauri.
The body of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari who was reported missing a few days ago was recovered on Saturday from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be formed to probe the case.
The father of the 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, whose body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh on Saturday, said that he will cremate his daughter only after receiving the final postmortem reports.
“I will cremate my daughter only after I get the final postmortem report. The CM has told me that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted and the case will be tried in a fast-track court,” said Ankita Bhandari’s father said.
Earlier, the deceased’s brother also said that they won’t conduct her last rites until the post-mortem report is received. “We saw in her provisional report that she was beaten up and was thrown in a river.
But we’re awaiting the final report,” said Ajay Singh Bhandari, brother of Ankita Bhandari.