New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Vinod Arya, father of Pulkit Arya, who is serving a life sentence in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, has alleged that his son was wrongly implicated due to political pressure. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, he claimed that Ankita died by suicide following alleged harassment by her parents and boyfriend and demanded a fresh investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Flanked by Pulkit’s lawyer, Anuj Pundir, Vinod said his family had been trying to get its concerns heard for the past three years but had received no response from the authorities. He raised questions about the police investigation and said an independent probe was necessary.
These are allegations made by the convicted man’s father and his lawyer. They do not alter the court’s conviction or establish an alternative account of Ankita’s death.
Vinod Arya Cites Alleged Chats Between Ankita And Her Friend
Vinod claimed to possess more than 4,000 pages of chat transcripts between Ankita and her male friend, identified as Pushp. He alleged that the conversations pointed to mistreatment by Ankita’s parents, particularly her mother, and opposition to her proposed marriage.
He claimed the chats referred to physical assaults involving kicks, punches and sticks. Vinod also cited an alleged message in which Ankita sent her parents a video of a canal and asked whether they wanted her to jump into it and commit suicide.
He further alleged that Ankita was unhappy with her friend because he had pressured her to enter a physical relationship. According to Vinod, the chats also contained a threat by the friend to kill her parents and dispose of their bodies.
The contents and authenticity of the purported conversations were not independently established in the material shared at the press conference.
Pulkit Arya’s Lawyer Questions Police Investigation
Pulkit’s counsel, Anuj Pundir, also questioned the sequence of events in the case, describing it as suspicious. He said police had recorded Pulkit’s statement and sent him to jail, and that the recovery of Ankita’s body from a canal was reported two days later.
Pundir alleged that the body had been transported in a police vehicle and subsequently placed in the canal to create a particular account of its recovery. He also questioned the claim that the body was found inside a personal protective equipment (PPE) kit.
These claims were made by the defence counsel and were not independently substantiated at the press conference.
Vinod separately questioned why police had recovered and examined Ankita’s SIM card but, according to him, had not recovered Pulkit’s mobile phone or SIM card. He argued that these issues needed to be addressed as part of an impartial investigation.
Vinod Arya Alleges Resort Was Demolished, Set On Fire
Vinod also claimed that his resort was demolished using a bulldozer after the incident and was subsequently set on fire on two occasions. He estimated the financial loss at around Rs 50 crore.
He alleged that he had attempted to file a formal complaint over the incidents but no report had been registered. He attributed the alleged inaction to political pressure.
He also criticised a statement made by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, arguing that the matter was still sub judice and before the High Court.
Vinod reiterated his demand for a CBI investigation, saying he wanted the circumstances surrounding the case and his family’s complaints to be examined.
