Dushyant Kumar Gautam sworn in as Sikkim governor

Dushyant Kumar Gautam took the oath of office as the governor of Sikkim on Monday, formalising the constitutional transition in the strategic Himalayan border state.

Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court A Muhamed Mustaque administered the oath of office and secrecy at a ceremony attended by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, cabinet ministers, senior judges, and top administrative officials. Gautam succeeds Om Prakash Mathur in the Raj Bhavan.

The formal swearing-in ensures unbroken administrative continuity for Sikkim, maintaining institutional stability in an ecologically sensitive and geopolitically vital frontier state. With the oath concluded, Gautam assumes full constitutional responsibilities as head of state under Article 159 of the Constitution.

Opposition claims dismissed

The appointment went ahead amid demonstrations organised by the Congress party in New Delhi and Dehradun, along with objections from the Bar Association of Sikkim. Opposition leaders attempted to link Gautam to the 2022 murder of receptionist Ankita Bhandari in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

However, official legal records establish that Gautam was never named as an accused or mentioned in the chargesheet. In May 2025, a court in Kotdwar convicted resort owner Pulkit Arya and two accomplices for the murder, sentencing all three to life imprisonment.

Addressing the unproven allegations earlier this year, the Delhi High Court delivered an interim ruling in a defamation suit filed by Gautam, ordering political bodies and social media platforms to remove defamatory posts against him. The court noted that attempts to link his name to the crime were prima facie defamatory.

Despite the lack of any official charges, Congress general secretary Kumari Selja and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that the appointment be revoked, with Gandhi writing to President Droupadi Murmu. The Congress party announced plans to demonstrate outside the Uttarakhand assembly on 27 October.

Focus on regional governance

The Bar Association of Sikkim had submitted a representation to President Murmu seeking to defer the oath, arguing that constitutional immunity under Article 361 could affect public perceptions. Association president Tashi Rapten Burfungpa acknowledged that the representation was an institutional plea rather than a verdict on guilt.

Rashtrapati Bhavan did not stay the warrant, permitting the constitutional process to proceed in line with established legal norms. Under the constitutional framework, presidential appointments proceed unless formal legal impediments exist, safeguarding public administration from unsubstantiated political allegations.

State officials in Gangtok indicated that the administration will maintain its focus on developmental infrastructure, border stability, and governance delivery across Sikkim.