Bhandari Family Protesters Detained at India Gate

Delhi Police detained Ankita Bhandari’s parents, Congress leaders and other demonstrators at India Gate in New Delhi around 4 a.m. on October 15, during a protest opposing Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor. The protesters were later released, according to reports. The family is asking that the appointment be halted until a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into an alleged VIP connection to Bhandari’s murder is complete. The detentions came hours after Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Bhandari’s parents at the protest site on October 14. Congress leaders accused police of forcibly removing demonstrators and manhandling protesters, including women. Those accounts are allegations by protesters; the reports did not include a police response describing the operation. Bhandari’s parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, have appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to put Gautam’s appointment on hold pending the CBI inquiry. They have sought a meeting with the president, according to reports. Their protest followed the announcement of Gautam’s appointment on October 12.