Rahul Gandhi writes to President on Sikkim Governor appointment amid CBI inquiry

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu asking the Union government to reconsider the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.

In his letter on Thursday, Gandhi cited Article 74(1) of the Constitution, which allows the President to return ministerial advice for reconsideration, and raised concerns regarding constitutional immunity under Article 361. The representation followed protests in New Delhi by the parents of Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Uttarakhand in September 2022.

State and central authorities have maintained that due process has been rigorously followed since the crime occurred. Ankita, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantra resort in Pauri Garhwal, went missing on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from a canal days later. Uttarakhand Police moved swiftly, apprehending all three accused—including resort owner Pulkit Arya—within 24 hours of the crime coming to light.

Fast-track investigation and convictions

Uttarakhand law enforcement moved the case rapidly through the courts. An investigation overseen by a Special Investigation Team led by a woman Deputy Inspector General completed its inquiry in 88 days, producing a detailed 500-page chargesheet. That prosecution resulted in life sentences for Arya and his two accomplices.

To ensure exhaustive scrutiny of claims regarding an unidentified "VIP" visitor, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry on 9 January. The federal agency formally took custody of case files, the original FIR, and the state police SIT findings on 4 February.

Legal clearances and public order rules

Gautam has firmly rejected the political claims connecting him to the resort, calling them baseless. Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court granted him relief, ordering the removal of defamatory social media posts and noting the complete absence of investigative findings implicating him. The CBI’s open FIR names only an unidentified individual, and no investigating agency has named Gautam in connection with the crime.

The political row intensified after Delhi Police enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita at India Gate, removing demonstrators staging an unsanctioned overnight sit-in. Police officials stated that the area is classified as a vital security installation where unauthorised gatherings are strictly regulated to protect public order and national installations.

While opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, criticised the police intervention, administrators stressed that established protocols govern national capital security zones. Law enforcement agencies maintain that the criminal justice system has already delivered decisive convictions, while the CBI continues its review through established legal procedures.