Ankita Bhandari murder case: BJP expels father and brother of key accused Pulkit Arya from party

The Bhartiya Janata Party on Saturday expelled Vinod Arya and Ankit Arya - father and brother of key accused Pulkit Arya in the Ankita Bhandari murder case - from the party with immediate effect.

The angry locals, who have been protesting and demanding justice for the murdered 19-year-old female receptionist set Vanatara resort owned by Arya on fire earlier in the day. The resort was partially demolished on Friday evening. They also attacked BJP MLA Renu Bisht's car and vandalised it. The MLA was escorted away by Police.

Ankita Bhandari, who started working at the resort on August 28 went missing a few days ago. A missing report was filed by Bhandari’s family on Monday. Reportedly Bhandari accompanied Arya and other two resort staff to Rishikesh on Sept 18.

After a probe was launched by cops, Arya misled the search team, police said. However, on Friday the key accused confessed to his crime and revealed details.

Bhandari’s body was recovered from Cheela canal near Rishikesh on Saturday where the accused had dumped it after killing her.

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The murder of the teen has shocked entire Uttarakhand with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressing grief over the loss of life and assuring strictest punishment for the culprits.

The three accused were sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Kotdwar court, police said. A missing complaint had been lodged at a revenue police outpost after the girl was not found in her room by her parents on Monday morning.