Urmila Sanawar, who had previously levelled allegations regarding the involvement of a 'VIP' in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, was arrested on Sunday. Her detention took place just one day before she was expected to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning related to the high-profile case. Reports indicate that Sanawar, who has experience as an actor, is currently facing at least eight First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against her, with six of these initiated after she released audio and video recordings in December 2025.
The murder of Ankita Bhandari, which occurred in September 2022, has recently returned to public discourse following the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim. Sanawar has publicly identified Gautam as the 'VIP' referenced in the recordings she distributed. While three individuals, including the owner of the resort where Bhandari worked as a receptionist, have already been convicted for the murder, the case remains a subject of intense scrutiny, leading the BJP government to agree to a CBI investigation amidst pressure from the Opposition.
The legal challenges against Sanawar are wide-ranging. The FIRs lodged against her include serious allegations such as extortion, issuance of death threats, the circulation of objectionable photographs, defamation, and remarks deemed offensive to religious sentiments. The first of these cases was registered shortly after the release of her recordings in late 2025. Specifically, the most recent arrest followed a complaint lodged by Deepika Rathore, the daughter of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore. Deepika Rathore accused Sanawar of circulating defamatory content online and making WhatsApp calls demanding a sum of Rs 5 crore, alongside threats involving the transfer of property and violence against her family.
Sanawar’s connection to the former MLA has been a point of contention. She has claimed to be married to Suresh Rathore and has accused him of sexual harassment, further alleging that he threatened to release damaging videos of her. Conversely, the former MLA has denied any marriage, refuted all harassment allegations, and countered that Sanawar attempted to blackmail him. These conflicting accounts form the backdrop of the multiple police cases currently being processed through various jurisdictions, including Dehradun and Haridwar.
Legal records show that the Uttarakhand High Court has been involved in reviewing some of these petitions. In June 2026, the court examined pleas to quash several FIRs. While it quashed one FIR filed by a local resident on the grounds of overlap with existing complaints, it declined to quash the FIR filed by Dushyant Kumar Gautam in January 2026. In that instance, Gautam alleged that a conspiracy existed to fabricate audio and video clips to damage his reputation. The court noted that the authenticity and evidentiary value of these recordings remain matters for active investigation, with forensic experts currently reviewing voice samples and electronic devices.
Opposition leaders have raised concerns regarding the timing of Sanawar’s arrest, noting its proximity to her scheduled cooperation with the CBI. Sanawar had previously consented to undergo polygraph and narco-analysis tests as part of the broader inquiry into the Ankita Bhandari murder. As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on the veracity of the claims made in the circulated clips and the subsequent police investigations that have ensnared those involved in the public disclosure of these materials.
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