CM didn't mention 'VIP' angle, SC-monitored probe: Parents
Dehradun, Jan. 11 -- The family of the Pauri Garhwal receptionist on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction over chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's recommendation for a CBI probe into their daughter's murder, saying the official communication does not mention supervision by a Supreme Court judge or the "VIP angle".
The victim's father said their agitation would continue if the government failed to clarify whether their demands had been accepted.
"In my memorandum to CM Dhami on January 7, when we met him, we clearly mentioned that we want a CBI probe under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. We also made it clear that the probe should focus on the 'VIP' angle due to which my daughter was killed. However, in his announcement for the CBI probe, the chief minister has not mentioned SC judge supervision," he said.
He added, "We only received a call from Dehradun yesterday informing us that a CBI probe has been recommended by the CM."
The victim's father further said there was no clarity on whether the probe would focus on the "VIP angle". "We want the investigation to look into this aspect, as it was the key reason behind my daughter's murder. The probe should specifically examine what has already been revealed by the state police's special investigation team (SIT)," he said.
"If our demands are not met, we will continue our agitation," he added.
On Friday, CM Dhami said the state government has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case of the Pauri Garhwal receptionist murder case, acceding to the request and sentiments expressed by her parents.
Dhami in a statement said the government's objective had always been to ensure justice in a fair, transparent and sensitive manner. "From the very beginning, the state government has acted without delay, with complete sensitivity and impartiality," he said.
He said all the accused were arrested promptly and the state ensured effective legal representation, as a result of which none of the accused was granted bail during the investigation and trial. Following a detailed probe by the SIT, a charge sheet was filed and, after completion of the trial in a lower court, the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, the CM said.
The 19-year-old deceased, a resident of Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar near Rishikesh. Her body was found in the Chilla canal in September 2022. In May 2025, a Kotdwar court in Pauri Garhwal sentenced resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, along with employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, to life imprisonment in the murder case.
Meanwhile, the political slugfest on the issue continued on Saturday, as Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UKPCC) president Ganesh Godiyal asked the BJP-led government to make public the terms of reference for the CBI probe in the receptionist murder case.
"When a CBI inquiry has already been recommended, why is the government not making public the terms of reference sent to the Centre? The government's intentions are suspicious, which is why they have not been made public." "It is a fact that a VIP is involved in the murder case, but the government wants to make the identity of the VIP hypothetical. We warn the government that our fight will continue until the victim gets complete justice," Godiyal said.
State BJP president Mahendra Bhatt said, "I am surprised that until yesterday the discussion on this issue was limited to a CBI inquiry, but today new issues are being raised to spoil the atmospher."...
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