Ankita murder case: U'khand women's commission sets up panel to monitor probe
Dehradun(PTI): The Uttarakhand State Commission for Women has constituted a committee to monitor the ongoing probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case and keep an eye on all its aspects.
"It is an extremely sensitive matter in which urgent action needs to be taken. A special committee has been set up by the commission to keep a close eye on the ongoing probe into the case," president of the commission Kusum Kandwal said.
The committee consisting of SDM Yamkeshwar, Pauri's District Programme Officer, and Lakshman Jhoola police station Sub inspector will keep informing the commission about the progress in the investigations, she said.
Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, was allegedly killed by the resort owner and two of his accomplices.
The three accused, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were arrested within 24 hours of the matter being handed over to the regular police force from revenue police on September 22, an official had said.
The accused had said they had pushed Bhandari into the Chilla canal on September 18 and her body was found on September 24.
The main accused Pulkit Arya is the son of former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Arya, who was expelled by the party when Pulkit's name cropped up in the case.
Also on Wednesday, an RSS office bearer who had uploaded an objectionable post on the social media against the kin of Bhandari after her murder, was booked for sedition and spreading caste animosity.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
