वरिष्ठ अधिवक्ता कोलिन गोंजाल्विस, जो सुप्रीम कोर्ट में अंकिता को न्याय दिलाने के लिए लड़ रहे थे, ने इस फैसले के बाद एक भावुक पत्र लिखा। उन्होंने लिखा, “मुझे खेद है, अंकिता, कि आपकी हत्या की निष्पक्ष जांच की उम्मीदें खत्म हो गईं।”
क्या है पूरा मामला?
पौड़ी जिले के गंगा भोगपुर स्थित वनंतरा रिज़ॉर्ट में रिसेप्शनिस्ट अंकिता भंडारी की हत्या का मामला सितंबर 2022 में सामने आया था। आरोप था कि रिज़ॉर्ट के मालिक पुलकित आर्य, प्रबंधक अंकित गुप्ता और सहायक प्रबंधक सौरभ भास्कर ने अंकिता पर एक वीआईपी मेहमान को “विशेष सेवा” देने का दबाव डाला। जब उसने इनकार किया, तो उसकी बेरहमी से हत्या कर दी गई और शव को चिला नहर में फेंक दिया गया।
सीबीआई जांच क्यों नहीं होगी?
उत्तराखंड सरकार का कहना है कि इस मामले की जांच तथ्यों पर आधारित थी और चार्जशीट में सभी सबूत शामिल किए गए हैं। आरोपी जेल में हैं और मामला कोटद्वार कोर्ट में विचाराधीन है।
हालांकि, वकील कोलिन गोंजाल्विस ने पुलिस जांच पर गंभीर सवाल उठाए हैं:
- अंकिता की व्हाट्सएप चैट, जिसमें उसने दोस्त को वीआईपी के बारे में बताया था, चार्जशीट से हटा दी गई।
- मुख्य आरोपी के सहयोगी, जो नकदी और हथियार के साथ था, से पूछताछ तक नहीं हुई।
- अंकिता के आंसुओं से भरे आखिरी पलों का गवाह एक होटल कर्मी था, लेकिन उसका बयान चार्जशीट में शामिल नहीं किया गया।
- जिस कमरे में अंकिता ठहरी थी, उसकी फोरेंसिक रिपोर्ट चार्जशीट में नहीं लगाई गई।
- सबसे बड़ा सवाल – आखिर वह वीआईपी कौन था? पुलिस ने उसकी पहचान अब तक उजागर नहीं की।
अब आगे क्या?
मुख्य आरोपी पुलकित आर्य ने ट्रायल कोर्ट में नार्को टेस्ट की मांग की थी, जिससे सच सामने आने की संभावना थी, लेकिन कोर्ट ने यह याचिका भी खारिज कर दी।
कोलिन गोंजाल्विस ने पत्र में लिखा, “मुझे खेद है, अंकिता। भारत में आम महिलाओं की ज़िंदगी मायने नहीं रखती। शक्तिशाली लोग बार-बार बच निकलते हैं।”
इस फैसले के बाद यह सवाल और गहरा गया है कि क्या अंकिता को पूरा न्याय मिलेगा या फिर वीआईपी के रसूख तले सच हमेशा के लिए दफन हो जाएगा?
A very emotional letter from Colin Gonsalves,Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India,who was fighting for justice to Ankita Bhandari,after the demand for CBI probe in Ankita Bhandari murder case,petition was disposed of without catching the main accused the “VIP” of the case….
I’m sorry, Ankita
I’m sorry, Ankita that your case in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI investi gation into your murder was disposed of and we have not yet managed to catch the main culprit. I’m sorry Ashutosh, fearless journalist and Petitioner before the Court that you have had to suffer victimisation for investigating this case and had FIRs filed against you and also suffered the victimisation of your wife by way of her transfer. I’m sorry Soni Devi, for the death of your darling daughter by a VIP who asked for “special services” from Ankita, a young girl working in the hotel. Her refusal led to her murder.
I am also sorry that our police force has become so supine before politicians that they will cover up for any crime. First, the WhatsApp chats between Ankita and her friend Pushpadeep where she complained that a VIP was coming to her hotel and had demanded special services from her, was omitted from the charge sheet by the Uttarakhand Police. In those chats she desperately asked her friend to come immediately and take her out. Second, the interaction between her friend Pushpadeep and the associate of the VIP in the swimming pool was not mentioned in the charge sheet even though Pushpadeep had identified the associate on the basis of a photograph shown to him by the police. Thirdly, the associate was carrying cash and weapons in his bag and was nevertheless neither made an accused nor questioned by the police. Fourthly, the statement of the hotel worker Abhinav that Ankita was weeping in her room prior to being forcefully taken out and murdered was not mentioned in the charge sheet. Fifth, the forensic report of the Laboratory of the room where Ankita stayed was never annexed to the charge sheet. Sixth, the crime scene i.e. the room where she stayed, was immediately bulldozed on the orders of a local MLA and the Chief Minister. Seventh, the mobile phone of the hotel staff who were engaging in conversation with the VIP was never seized. Eighth, the CCTV footage of the hotel which would clearly reveal the identity of the VIP and his entourage was never produced on the convenient excuse that the cameras were not working. Ninth, the witnesses who deposed that Ankita was distraught prior to her death was never investigated properly. Tenth, the statement made by the Uttarkhand Police that the Call Detail Record had been investigated and showed nothing untoward was misleading because the record was only in respect of the chats of the deceased and not of the hotel staff.
Finally, the video showing Ankita riding pillion on a motorcycle with one of the accused was wrongly mentioned by the prosecution as indicating that she was showing no signs of distress prior to her murder and the dumping of her body in the canal. However, in the evidence led in Court by Pushpadeep, he said that Ankita seated on the motorcycle called him and said that she was very afraid as she was surrounded by persons and could not talk.
The recent development of the main accused Pulkit Arya who have now requested the Trial Court to order a narco analysis of themselves, indicating that they are willing to make a clean breast of the events, was prematurely cut short by the Trial Court rejecting the application. Such testimony by the accused themselves would have brought to light the identity and role of the VIP.
The identity of the VIP has been covered up by the police. This obstacle could have been overcome by directing the CBI to take over the investigation and conduct further investigation. The mother alleged in communications to the Authorities that he was a high ranking political functionary who used to visit the hotel often along with his party members. Even elementary steps taken to obtain the CCTV footage or the mobile phones of the staff would reveal the identity of the principal offender.
Sorry Ankita. This is India. The lives of ordinary women don’t count. And the high and mighty will get away again and again.
Colin Gonsalves
Sr.Advocate Supreme Court
