Dehradun, Aug. 19 -- The Uttarakhand High Court has rejected the bail pleas of three convicted accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Pulkit Arya, Saurabh and Ankit Gupta.

A division bench comprising Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Siddharth Shah pronounced the verdict after a two-day hearing.

Reacting to the development, the Chief Minister's Office said the rejection of the bail pleas reflected the state government's "strong and effective legal representation" in the case.

The CMO said the state government, under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, remains committed to ensuring justice for Ankita and securing strict punishment for those responsible under the law.

The life imprisonment sentences given to the convicts in the...