Urmila Sanawar narco test: CBI court orders narco-analysis and polygraph in Ankita Bhandari case
The tests will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, but no date has been fixed, according to her lawyer Shivani Tomar.
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The Urmila Sanawar narco test has been ordered by a CBI court in Dehradun, which on Friday 13 November directed narco-analysis and polygraph tests of the television actress in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, PTI reported. Her lawyer, Shivani Tomar, told PTI that the tests will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, but the date is yet to be set.
Urmila Sanawar narco test: what the court ordered
“In the court, consent was given for undergoing the narco-analysis and polygraph test and her statement was also recorded,” Tomar told PTI. The order follows a hearing on 23 October, when Sanawar and former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore gave their consent before the CBI court, Pioneer reported.
The CBI had served Sanawar a notice at her home in Saharanpur on 21 October, asking her to appear in person on 23 October so the court could confirm she was willing to take the tests voluntarily, ANI reported.
The VIP claim, an audio clip and Dushyant Gautam
Sanawar has alleged that a “VIP” was involved in the murder and released an audio recording on social media that she says captured her conversations with Rathore. The CBI had issued notices to both about the clip. Recently appointed Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam is being alleged to be the VIP involved, Pioneer reported. Gautam has denied the allegations. The CBI is still investigating the authenticity of the viral clips.
Sanawar says she is Rathore’s wife. Rathore has denied this.
Key numbers
- 19: Bhandari’s age when she was killed, per ThePrint (PTI).
- 2022: the year of the murder, per ThePrint (PTI).
- 3: people sentenced to life imprisonment in the case, per ThePrint (PTI).
- 23 October: the date Sanawar and Rathore consented before the CBI court, per Pioneer.
Ankita Bhandari murder case: the background
Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees in 2022, according to PTI. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The VIP allegation has kept the case in the news. Bhandari’s family, the Congress and activists have been demanding an investigation against Gautam and his removal as governor, Pioneer reported. The Congress sought President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention, and Bhandari’s parents staged a protest near India Gate in Delhi in October. More state news is on our Uttarakhand page.
What Sanawar said
After the 23 October hearing, Sanawar said: “I have given my consent for the narco test as I have nothing to lose.” She added that she had set a condition: “I have kept a condition that media must be given access to my narco-analysis test so that details are available to all.” She has also demanded a narco test of Gautam.
What happens next
No date has been fixed for the Urmila Sanawar narco test in Gandhinagar. The reports do not say whether the court has acted on her media-access condition, or whether tests have been ordered for Rathore or Gautam.
The tests move a claim that has been politically charged since Dushyant Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor into a formal CBI process. Gautam has denied the allegations and the CBI is still checking the audio clips. The test date, and whether the court orders tests for others named in the case, will show how fast the probe moves.
Named in this story
Sources
- Uttarakhand court orders narco test of TV actress Sanawar in Ankita Bhandari murder case (ThePrint, PTI)
- Ankita Bhandari case: Actress Urmila Sanawar, ex-MLA Suresh Rathore agree to narco test (Pioneer, PTI)
- Ankita Bhandari murder case: CBI issues notice to Urmila Sanawar for narco-analysis test (Devdiscourse, ANI)