The Uttarakhand government has issued an order to officially rename the Government Nursing College located in Dobh (Shrikot) village of Pauri Garhwal district as Late Ankita Bhandari Government Nursing College.
The decision follows a recent directive issued by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to rename the institute in memory of Ankita Bhandari, a native of Dobh who was murdered in 2022. An official order formalising the change was issued on Thursday by Dr R Rajesh Kumar, Secretary of the state’s Medical and Health Department, news agency PTI reported.
The renaming comes amid continued political and public focus on the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari. The Chief Minister recently met Ankita’s parents and reiterated that the state government stands
firmly with the victim’s family. He assured them of lawful, impartial and swift action on the demands they have raised, stating that ensuring justice remains the government’s top priority.
According to a letter submitted to the Chief Minister, Ankita’s parents have sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of their daughter, who was killed at the age of 19.
“I appeal to the government to get this case investigated by the CBI under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge to apprehend the VIP,” the letter by Virendra Bhandari, Ankita’s father, read.
All About Ankita Bhandari Murder Case
Ankita Bhandari worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Pauri district. She was reported missing for nearly six days before her body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24, 2022. Investigators alleged that she was pushed into the canal following an altercation.
Pulkit Arya, the resort owner and son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, was arrested in connection with the case, along with two others—Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. All three were later found guilty.
On May 30, 2025, an Uttarakhand court convicted the three accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The verdict was delivered by the Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Kotdwar.
Despite the convictions, calls for a CBI investigation have gained momentum in recent weeks after Urmila Sanawar, described as the alleged wife of expelled BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, claimed the involvement of a “VIP” in the murder.
