In a recent hearing, the Supreme Court has instructed the Uttarakhand government to furnish a confidential status report outlining the progress in the trial of the homicide of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort. The resort is owned by the son of a dismissed former BJP leader. 

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti, constituting the panel, reviewed state-submitted status reports and scheduled the next hearing for February 2024.

During the proceedings, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing a journalist and the deceased Ankita Bhandari's relatives, urged a CBI investigation. Gonsalves expressed concerns about the inquiry, citing the absence of CCTV footage and forensic evidence from the resort. Allegations included the unauthorized demolition of a section of the resort before the forensic team arrived and concerted efforts to shield a political VIP.

The bench directed queries to Deputy Advocate General Jatinder Kumar Sethi, representing the SIT and the state government. Sethi outlined a thorough investigation by a nine-member SIT, led by a woman IPS officer from Tamil Nadu. Charges were filed against the primary accused, Pulkit Arya, and two associates, covering offenses under the IPC and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The trial was reportedly progressing, with 27 prosecution witnesses, and Sethi refuted claims of VIP involvement as politically motivated.

Vinod Arya, the BJP leader and father of the primary accused, was expelled from the party amidst public protests. The petition, filed by a journalist and the deceased's parents, challenges the Uttarakhand High Court's dismissal of their plea for a CBI probe. The High Court asserted the SIT's credibility and denied efforts to shield any VIP figure.

The petition had alleged the demolition of the deceased's room on the day her body was found and a post-mortem conducted without a female doctor present. In response to public outcry, the state government ordered the demolition of a portion of the resort. The Supreme Court had earlier directed the state to submit progress reports, and the trial court framed charges on March 18.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 2024.