Rejecting the bail plea of the resort owner and Pulkit’s lead defendant, the court charged him with “murder, sexual harassment, loss of evidence under sections 302, 354-A and 201 of the Department of the Department. Criminal Law. IPC, and entice a person into prostitution under section 5(1)(d) of the Unethical Traffic (Prevention) Act”. Pulkit is the son of now expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, who served as a state minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat government until 2021.
Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, two other defendants and Pulkit’s associates in the resort, were also charged with the same parts, except for 354-A (sexual harassment).
Ankita Bhandari murder: Phone conversations reveal how lead defendant Pulkit Arya tried to mislead the investigation
Lawyers for the three defendants, attorney Amit Sajwan, told TOI: “The court of the supplementary session fixed the charges. The three men pleaded not guilty and requested a trial in court on the charges. , the court then set the next date for the hearing on March 28. The court had previously denied Pulkit and Gupta’s bail request. Bhaskar on March 15th.”
The teenage girl from Pauri, who used to work as a receptionist at the resort, is believed to have been murdered by Pulkit and two associates on September 18, 2022 when they pushed her off a cliff into a nearby area. Chilla Barrage. It is believed that a few days before her death, the girl told a close friend that she wanted to leave the resort because the owner and other staff had pressured her to provide “exceptional service”. ” for a VIP guest.
The girl’s death caused massive protests around the world Uttarakhand as the police teams that initially investigated the case made loose charges.
The three defendants were arrested by police officer Pauri Garhwal on September 22, 4 days after the crime.
The defendant was also charged with sexual abuse
Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, two other defendants and Pulkit’s associates in the resort, were also charged with the same parts, except for 354-A (sexual harassment).
Lawyers for the three defendants, attorney Amit Sajwan, told TOI: “The charges have been fixed by the court of the additional session judge. The three men pleaded not guilty and asked for a court hearing on the charges, after which the court set a next trial date for March 28. The court had previously rejected his bail application. Pulkit and Gupta. It had previously refused Bhaskar’s plea for bail on March 15.”
The teenage girl from Pauri, who used to work as a receptionist at the resort, is said to have been murdered by Pulkit and two of his aides on September 18, 2022 when they pushed her off a cliff into a dam. Chilla Barrage nearby. It is alleged that a few days before her death, the girl told a close friend that she wanted to leave the resort because the owner and other staff pressured her to provide “exceptional service”. ” for a VIP guest.
The girl’s death sparked massive protests across Uttarakhand as police teams that initially investigated the case brought loose charges.
