Ankita Bhandari case: BJP leader moves court

BJP national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam has approached the Delhi High Court after social media posts and political statements linked him to the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, allegations he has strongly denied.

Gautam has filed a defamation suit against the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and several individuals, arguing that online content has falsely portrayed him as connected to the crime. He has asked for the removal of posts, videos and statements that name or hint at him in connection with the case.

According to his plea, a fresh wave of online claims surfaced in late December, reviving speculation around an alleged “VIP” angle in the Ankita Bhandari murder. Gautam has said that these claims have no basis in the investigation and amount to a targeted attempt to damage his reputation.

The Ankita Bhandari case had shocked the country in 2022. The 19 year old worked as a receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand and was killed after allegedly being pressured to provide special services to guests. Three men, including the resort owner, were later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. While rumours about the involvement of a powerful outsider circulated widely at the time, investigators did not name any such person in the chargesheet.

Gautam’s suit names political parties as well as individuals who shared or amplified content on social media platforms. He has said the repeated circulation of these claims has led to public harassment, political attacks and a trial by social media, despite there being no official finding against him.

The controversy has also taken a political turn. The Congress and AAP have criticised the BJP over the Ankita Bhandari case in recent weeks, accusing the ruling party of shielding influential figures. BJP leaders, on the other hand, have dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

By moving the court, Gautam has sought to draw a clear line between the facts established by the investigation and what he describes as unverified claims being presented as truth online. The matter is expected to come up for hearing in the coming days.