Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to reconsider Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor and ensure he does not assume office until the CBI completes its inquiry into the alleged VIP angle in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI, October 15, 2026: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to ask the government to reconsider the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor and ensure that he does not assume office until the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari.
In a letter dated October 15, Gandhi raised concerns that Gautam’s appointment could complicate the investigation into allegations surrounding the murder of the 19-year-old resort receptionist in Uttarakhand. He argued that the inquiry must be allowed to proceed without any constitutional impediment.
Ankita, who worked at the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of a BJP leader, and two employees were subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case included allegations that Arya had pressured Ankita to provide “special services” to VIP guests, which she refused.
While the three men were convicted in the murder case in May 2025, the identity of the alleged VIPs has remained a subject of public controversy. Following renewed protests in Uttarakhand, the state government recommended a CBI inquiry into the separate VIP-related allegations. That investigation is ongoing.
Gandhi expressed concern over Gautam’s appointment, noting that Ankita’s family and others have alleged a connection between the BJP leader and the case. Gautam has denied the allegations and pursued defamation proceedings against people making them. The allegations have not been established in court.
राष्ट्रपति महोदया,
19 साल की अंकिता भंडारी ने एक VIP के लिए अपनी गरिमा से समझौता करने से इनकार किया, जिसके कारण उसकी हत्या कर दी गई। चार साल बाद भी CBI की धीमी जांच के चलते यह सवाल बना हुआ है कि वो VIP कौन था।
अंकिता के परिवार समेत कई लोग मानते हैं कि दुष्यंत गौतम इस मामले से जुड़े हुए हैं। ऐसे में उनकी सिक्किम के राज्यपाल के पद पर नियुक्ति से मैं स्तब्ध हूं। राज्यपाल के पद पर रहते हुए उनके खिलाफ कोई आपराधिक कार्यवाही नहीं हो सकती।
दुष्यंत गौतम की नियुक्ति की सलाह देकर प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने साबित किया है कि महिलाओं की सुरक्षा की उन्हें बिल्कुल परवाह ही नहीं है।
मैं आपसे अपील करता हूं कि सरकार को इस नियुक्ति पर पुनर्विचार करने और जांच पूरी होने तक दुष्यंत गौतम को पदभार न देने की सलाह दें।
अंकिता के माता-पिता की न्याय की उम्मीद मत टूटने दीजिए।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 15, 2026
In his letter, Gandhi argued that a Governor’s constitutional immunity from criminal proceedings while in office could impede efforts to bring the inquiry to a meaningful conclusion.
“Mr. Gautam’s appointment places him out of the reach of the CBI. An inquiry that can never result in prosecution is an inquiry in name only,” Gandhi wrote, according to reports of the letter.
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He also stressed that a Governor must command public confidence and argued that unresolved allegations surrounding the appointment could undermine that trust.
Invoking constitutional convention and Article 74(1), which provides for the President to seek reconsideration of ministerial advice, Gandhi urged Murmu to ask the government to review its decision and ensure Gautam does not take charge until the CBI inquiry is complete.
“Please act — provide solace to Ankita’s grieving parents and protect the high post of Governor,” the letter concluded, according to media reports.
Ankita’s parents detained during protest
Gandhi’s letter follows a protest by Ankita’s parents, Virendra Bhandari and Soni Devi, at India Gate on October 14. Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the sit-in, demanding accountability and justice for the family.
Delhi Police detained Ankita’s parents in the early hours of October 15 before releasing them at around 5 am. Gandhi criticised the detention on social media, describing it as an attempt to silence people seeking justice.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary who was the party’s Uttarakhand in-charge at the time of Ankita’s murder, was appointed Sikkim Governor by President Murmu on October 12 as part of a gubernatorial reshuffle. His appointment takes effect when he assumes charge.
The controversy over the alleged VIP connection intensified in late 2025 after videos and an audio clip circulated by Urmila Sanawar, who has claimed to be the wife of a former BJP MLA. The Delhi High Court has separately ordered the removal of certain social media posts linking Gautam to the case.
The President’s office had not publicly responded to Gandhi’s letter as of October 15.
