Indian police on Saturday recovered the body of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist who went missing earlier this week. The murder has sparked massive public outrage and triggered a political meltdown, after Pulkit Arya, the son of a leading politician with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was named the main suspect. Bhandari, who worked at the Vanatara Resort in the city of Rishikesh owned by Arya, went missing earlier this week after a dispute with the management of the establishment. Local police confirmed the victim was being coerced by Arya and two other suspects into providing “special services” to the resort’s guests.
Earlier, Bhandari complained to her friend that the management demanded that she have sex with the resort’s guests and said she was in “trouble” shortly before her disappearance. “They are trying to turn me into a prostitute,” one of her WhatsApp messages read.
As the news of the murder spread, the resort was attacked by angry locals, who pelted the building with various projectiles, breaking its windows. The crowd also tried to lynch Arya, as well as the manager and assistant manager of the resort as police took them into custody on Friday. Footage circulating online shows the partially naked, visibly battered suspects inside a police vehicle. Two of the accused in the Ankita Kandari murder case were thrased by the locals in Yamkeshwar in Uttarakhand. Ankita Bandari (19) was missing from a resort since Sept 18. One of the accused Pulkit Arya is the son of a BJP politician.
The resort ended up being partially demolished overnight on order of the local authorities, as it turned out to have been built illegally. The demolition was ordered by the Chief Minister of the state of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, who strongly condemned the murder. “It is unfortunate. Police are working, they have done their work for making the arrests. Strictest punishment would be given for such heinous crimes, whoever be the criminal,” he said.
Illegal construction of the resort owned by Pulkit Arya, son of BJP leader who is accused of Ankita Bhandari murder case was bulldozed by Uttarakhand BJP Government. The surviving part of the resort ended up torched by locals on Saturday after Bhandari’s body was recovered from a local canal. This case is similar to a case in one of Singapore's holiday resorts in Santosa a few years back. The culprits must not be given any leeway to escape punishment or death. However, knowing the rampant corruption in India, the politician's son may likely escape the hook.
This kind of incidents happens all the time. Many went unseen and unheard of, but they existed.
ReplyDeleteIt has always been the rich and powerful who victimised the ordinary folks into submission through coercion, intimidation and violence.
In this case, it is happening in India. But it can happen to anyone in any country. Singapore is no exception.
I know of at least one case in Santosa, where the Management was forcing a young girl into prostitution.
The politician's son will escape the hook, not just likely. Yes, this kind of thing will happen in any country. People can get away with murder with power and wealth. Judges can be bought. Or better still planted so that the Justice System is beholden to those who hold power. There are so many ways and means to get around the system and the corrupt will, or be advised how to go around it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes when the case is too obvious, getting rid of witnesses is the alternative. And what is the difficulty to do that with money. Jeffrey Epstein was clearly murdered in prison by the powerful, nothing suicidal, to stop him from linking those with power and money with his hideous crime.
So does the assassination of John F. Kennedy by the CIA. It is an assisination by an assassinator who was assasinated by another assassinator who later was supposed to have died in prison. The link to the CIA stopped there and no one is around to tie the link. Clear and simple.
ReplyDelete