BJP expels Ankita murder accused's father Vinod Arya and brother Ankit from party

New Delhi, September 24

As public anger mounted over the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, the BJP on Saturday expelled accused Pulkit Arya’s father Vinod Arya and brother Ankit Arya from the party with immediate effect.

Vinod Arya is a former minister and member of national executive of the BJP OBC Morcha.

Ankit Arya is vice-chairman of Uttarakhand OBC Welfare Commission.

BJP Uttarakhand president Mahendra Bhatt said the two leaders had been expelled and no guilty would be spared.

Meanwhile, an SIT has been formed to investigate the murder in which the Pauri Garhwal police made three arrests on Friday — Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Pulkit Gupta.

While Pulkit Arya owned the now-razed resort in the Laxman Jhula area in Rishikesh where Ankita was a receptionist, the other two ran the affairs at the resort.

Ankita’s body was found from a canal on Friday and the three confessed to their crime.

Ankita’s family had reported her missing on September 18.