‘Won’t be silent’: Sikkim protesters demand delay in Dushyant Gautam’s Governor appointment over Ankita Bhandari Case

New Delhi: Students and local residents staged a protest at the District Administrative Centre in Gangtok, Sikkim on Saturday, demanding that the Centre put senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Governor on hold until the ongoing investigation into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case is completed.

Gautam is scheduled to take oath as Sikkim Governor on October 19. The protesters said they were not opposing his appointment outright but wanted the Centre to wait until the investigation addressed the allegations. Gautam has not been named in the chargesheet and has denied the allegations against him.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case to investigate the alleged involvement of a VIP in Bhandari’s murder. The victim’s parents have alleged that Gautam is the person referred to as the VIP in the case.

One of the protesters, CL Chettri, said the appointment should remain on hold until the investigation is completed or Gautam is cleared of the allegations.

“I don’t have a problem with the appointment, but until the case is ongoing or Gautam is given a clean chit, he should not be appointed. That is our only demand,” Chettri said.

Protesters say they will continue to raise concerns

Anjali, who organised the demonstration, described it as a citizen-led initiative without any political affiliation. She said public concerns had been growing and that she decided to organise a gathering to give people a platform to express their views.

Anjali said she approached the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police to seek permission for the protest, adding that they supported the initiative. She also stressed that the demonstration was intended to remain peaceful.

“Just because he gets sworn in does not mean that our voices will become silent. We will keep raising our concerns,” she said.

Another protester, Kailash Pradhan, questioned whether the Sikkim government could challenge the Centre’s decision, pointing to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang’s association with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He said elected representatives must remain accountable to the people who put them in power.

Background to Ankita Bhandari murder case

Ankita Bhandari, 19, worked at the Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. The resort owner Pulkit Arya and two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were convicted of her murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2023.

However, questions surrounding the alleged VIP mentioned in the case have continued. The CBI probe was recommended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in January 2026 following renewed public pressure and a request from Bhandari’s parents.

Gautam’s appointment was announced by the President’s Secretariat on October 12 as part of a wider reshuffle of Governors. The Congress has also urged the Centre to reconsider the appointment until the investigation is completed.

The protesters in Gangtok said they would continue to hold peaceful demonstrations, maintaining that their demand was for the inquiry to address the outstanding allegations before Gautam assumes office.