Uttarakhand: Last rites of Ankita Bhandari performed in Srinagar amid heavy security

Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old female receptionist who was allegedly killed by her employer Pulkit Arya--son of now expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya and two other resort staff was cremated at her hometown in Uttarakhand on Sunday.

The last rites were performed amid heavy security and a huge crowd of locals at the NIT ghat in Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal.

Bhandari’s family refused to perform her last rites earlier and demanded that her autopsy report be made public. The family even questioned the government's intention of demolishing the resort which had the evidence related to Bhandari’s case. However, the family agreed to cremate the body after administration's intervention

The gruesome murder of Ankita Bhandari had sparked massive outrage among locals in Uttarakhand. On Sunday, the locals blocked the Srinagar-Kedarnath highway in protest and despite requests from the administration and the family, the protesters refused to move.

The initial post-mortem report of the female receptionist stated that she died due to drowning and that her body bore signs of injury caused by blunt force.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami again assured the family of harshest action on the culprits.

Also Watch| Uttarakhand woman murder: Ankita died due to drowning, says draft autopsy report