Dehradun: The Court of Judicial Magistrate Kotdwar, Uttarkhand, will on December 22, hear an application by one of the accused in the Ankita Bhandari Murder Case seeking 10 days time to give consent for the Narco and Polygraph tests.
The in-charge of the Special Investigation Team probing the murder case, P Renuka Devi, said on Monday that out of the three accused, one has sought 10 days time for the narco and polygraph tests.
"The main accused Pulkit Arya and the second accused Saurabh have given consent for the narco and polygraph tests, however, the third accused Ankit has asked for 10 days time. His application will be heard in the court of Judicial Magistrate Kotdwar on December 22," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) P Renuka Devi told ANI.
She further told ANI that the tests of all the three accused are to be held simultaneously, that's why the court has fixed the date of December 22. The body of 19-year-old Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at a resort run by Pulkit Arya, the son of now expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, was recovered from Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24. She was reported missing for at least six days before her dead body was found by the officials. Pulkit Arya was arrested for his alleged involvement in the case. Under fire from the Opposition parties, the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government had promptly expelled Vinod Arya. Pulkit Arya was arrested in the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, were also arrested in the case.
On December 4, the Uttarakhand Police said that the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is almost complete with just the Narco tests of the accused remaining.
"An application will be filed in the court for the narco test of Ankita's killers, including the main accused Pulkit Arya. Things will be clearer after the narco test is done. Our investigation is almost complete," Chief Spokesperson of the Uttarakhand Police headquarters Additional Director General (ADG) V Murgeshan said addressing a press conference on December 4. The Uttarakhand Police said on November 29 that its Special Investigation Team (SIT) was probing the murder case of Ankita Bhandari and has considered conducting a narco-analysis test of all the three accused in the case.
Ankita's mother Sona Devi and father Virender Singh Bhandari filed a petition in the Nainital High Court, in November, seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case. Amid calls from the victim's family that the probe be transferred to the CBI, the Gangster Act was invoked against the three accused in the case, including the main accused Arya. —ANI