Uttarakhand Police increases charges on Ankita Bhandari's murder accused

Dehradun: The Uttarkhand Police has increased the charges on the accused of the murder of Ankita Bhandari whose body was recovered from Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24.

Based on the evidence collected and the recorded statements of the witnesses, the police have increased section 354 A (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have added section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, DIG P Renuka Devi told ANI. DIG further said that they are interrogating everyone in the case and recording their statements.
"The evidence has been collected and sent to the forensic lab while some other evidence are sent to the Chandigarh lab," DIG added mentioning that they have urged the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for giving the reports promptly as it is a "sensitive matter".

19-year-old Ankita was missing for at least six days before the Uttarakhand administration recovered her body from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24. The Son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, Pulkit Arya was arrested in the case for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. Besides Pulkit Arya, two more people were arrested in the case.
On October 3, it was revealed that the post-mortem report filed by the panel of doctors and the pieces of evidence collected by the SIT are matching.

The main culprits of the Ankita murder case were brought back to the district jail Khadusain after three days of police remand on October 2 as the Kotdwar Court had granted three-day remand to three accused of Ankita Bhandari's murder, including the main accused Pulkit Arya.
Arya is the son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, who allegedly pushed her into the canal following an altercation. (ANI)