Ankita Bhandari called Rishikesh resort Staff before gone missing

The body of Ankita Bhandari, who went missing from the premises of a private resort owned by BJP leader Vinod Arya's son Pulkit, was found by the police near the Chilla powerhouse this morning. Pulkit - who owns the resort in Pauri's Yamkeshwar block - was arrested on Friday along with two employees of the resort for allegedly killing the receptionist, who was missing for the past few days.

Pulkit has confessed to the police that he, along with others, pushed Ankita into a canal near the resort over a personal dispute, following which she drowned, the police said.

This morning, amid massive outrage, the BJP expelled Vinod Arya and his other son Ankit Arya with immediate effect. Earlier in the day, locals set the resort on fire. Yesterday, they pelted stones at the resort, and attempted to thrash Pulkit and two others who were being taken into police custody.

The resort was demolished following Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s ‘bulldozer action’ orders.

The three accused have been sent to 14 days’ judicial custody by a Kotdwar court, the police said