Ankita Bhandari murder case: Massive protest outside mortuary as father arrives to take her body for last rites

The killing of the 19-year-old girl Ankita Bhandari has sparked a massive outrage in Rishikesh after her body was found near a canal near the resort.

A massive protest was witnessed outside the mortuary in Srinagar, Pauri Garwhal dist, where Ankita Bhandari's father arrived to take her body for last rites.

Earlier in the day angry people took to the streets demanding justice. Enraged locals blocked the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway in front of the mortuary, near the base hospital, where Ankita Bhandari's body was taken to demanding that the post-mortem report be made public.

Ankita’s father and brother on Sunday refused to perform her last rites until they get the final postmortem report.

"I am not satisfied with the provisional postmortem report. Her last rites will not be performed until we get the final detailed report," said her father Virendra Singh Bhandari.

"We won't conduct her last rites until her post-mortem report is given. We saw in her provisional report that she was beaten up and was thrown in a river. But we're awaiting the final report," said Ajay Singh Bhandari, brother of Ankita Bhandari.

The administration, on the other hand, tried to convince Ankita's family.

As per the report, suffocation from drowning was her cause of death. The report also revealed that there were injuries discovered on the corpse before death that were consistent with blunt force trauma.

Notably, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday told ANI that her Whatsapp chats were also being probed.

As per reports a WhatsApp chat has come to the fore in the investigation. According to police sources, in this chat, Ankita is telling her friend that the owner of the resort is pressuring her to provide 'extra service' to the guests. There is a lot of anger among people after the murder of the receptionist.

The SIT in-charge of Ankita Bhandari murder case, DIG PR Devi, told ANI that Ankita's WhatsApp chats that have surfaced are also being probed.

As per a viral chat, it is alleged that it was being said that the guest would get 'extra service' for Rs 10,000. In the WhatsApp chat, there is talk of providing 'extra service' in the name of providing spa treatment at the Vanatara Resort.

Meanwhile, Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP minister from Rishikesh, and two others, including the the resort manager has been taken into custody.

Pulkit Arya has been named as the "main accused" in the case, the police said.