New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Congress leader Kumari Selja on Monday questioned the BJP government over the arrest of Urmila Sanawar ahead of her scheduled narco test in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case, asking, “Why was this action taken just before the narco test?”
In a post on X, Selja said Sanawar was ready to undergo the narco test, which was scheduled for the previous day.
https://x.com/Kumari_Selja/status/2114423807398273230
“Why is the BJP government so restless in trying to protect someone in the Ankita Bhandari murder case? Urmila Sanawar was ready for the narco test. Yesterday was supposed to be her narco test, but right before that, the BJP government filed a new case against her and had her arrested today,” she said.
“This arrest raises serious questions about the intentions of the BJP government. Why was this action taken just before the narco test? This is a straightforward attempt to prevent the truth about the VIP’s role from coming out.” Raising questions over the timing of the arrest, Selja alleged that the action was intended to prevent the truth about the VIP’s role in the case from coming out.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensified its probe into the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case on Wednesday, serving a formal notice to actress Urmila Sanawar at her residence in Saharanpur to appear for a narco-analysis test.
The development follows an ongoing investigation into a viral audio clip linked to the high-profile murder case.
According to Sanawar, a CBI team arrived at her home on Wednesday after a preliminary four-hour questioning session held on October 18.
“The CBI questioned me on the 18th. Today, I received a call from a CBI officer asking if I was at home. Upon arriving at my residence, they served me a notice for a narco-analysis test and asked me to appear before them the day after tomorrow at 10:30 AM. This notice is related to the audio clip that went viral in the Ankita Bhandari murder case,” Sanawar told ANI.
The official notice served to Sanawar directs her personal appearance on October 23, 2026, to ascertain her voluntary consent for narcotics examinations.
Highlighting the legal directive, the notice stated, “Now, therefore, you are hereby directed to appear in person before this Court on 23/10/2026 at 10:30 AM for the purpose of ascertaining whether you are willing to undergo the proposed Polygraph Test and Narco Test (Lie detection Tests) examination voluntarily and without any coercion, undue influence, threat, inducement or pressure from any person or authority. You are accordingly directed to appear before this Court on the date and time specified above.”
Expressing satisfaction with the renewed momentum of the probe while reflecting on earlier delays and public demonstrations by the victim’s family, Sanawar added, “Look, it feels good. If every daughter gets justice like this, and if the justice process had moved this swiftly from the very beginning, then perhaps Ankita Bhandari’s parents would not have had to sit in protest outside India Gate. Also, seeing someone who falls under a criminal category in this matter being nominated to a high post has hurt their feelings, hurt our feelings, and deeply hurt the sentiments of the entire people of Uttarakhand.”
Sanawar questioned the timeline of the federal inquiry, emphasising the role of public pressure.
She said, “Now the process has been accelerated by the CBI, but wasn’t the CBI case kept on the back burner for the past nine months? If they hadn’t gone there to protest, or if the opposition hadn’t raised this issue, perhaps the CBI inquiry would still be in cold storage today.”
She further confirmed her full cooperation with federal authorities regarding the narco test procedures.
“As you saw, the day before yesterday, the CBI questioned us for four hours. Then they asked us if we agreed to undergo a narco test. We told them that since we had already shared everything we knew and responded to all their questions, we were fully agreeable to a narco test. So, regarding that, they brought this notice summoning us to Dehradun the day after tomorrow,” Sanawar said.
With the notice formally served, Sanawar is scheduled to present herself before the designated authority in Dehradun on October 23 to complete the procedural requirements.
This comes amid the row over the alleged involvement of a “VIP” in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, which has escalated following the appointment of former BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim. (ANI)
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