A BJP leader’s son who owns a resort in Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district and his two employees were arrested on Friday allegedly for killing a 19-year-old girl who had been missing for the last few days, police said. The girl worked as a receptionist at the resort.
After the murder snowballed into a major controversy, the locals demanded ‘bulldozer justice’ from Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Dhami also announced that an SIT under Deputy Inspector General of Police P Renuka Devi has been formed to investigate the case.
Pulkit Arya is the son of Vinod Arya, a BJP leader from Haridwar and a former chairman of Uttarakhand Mati Kala Board. Vinod Arya has been granted a state minister’s rank but holds no post in the government.
Pulkit Arya, the resort owner, manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and assistant manager Ankit Gupta were arrested after they confessed to have killed the missing girl and thrown her body into the Cheela Canal, Pauri Additional Superintendent of Police Shekhar Chandra Suyal said.
The body of the victim was recovered from Chilla canal on Saturday morning. The victim’s relatives were called to identify the body, the SDRF confirmed.
Earlier in the day, a large number of locals from various villages in the vicinity pelted stones on the resort and thrashed the accused while the police were taking them along.
On Friday night, a bulldozer was called to destroy the infamous resort where the 19-year-old girl worked as a receptionist. The officials swung into action after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami instructed them to take ‘stern’ action.
Initially, they tried to mislead the police, but when interrogated sternly they confessed to the crime, the ASP said. A team has been sent to search for the girl’s body in the canal, he said, adding the case was cracked within 24 hours of being transferred from the revenue police to regular police.
The three accused were sent to a 14-day judicial custody by a Kotdwar court, police said. A missing complaint had been lodged at a revenue police outpost after the girl was not found in her room by her parents on Monday morning.
CM Dhami instructed all district magistrates to check resorts across the state amid voice for cracking the whip on mushrooming resorts. He further told officials to ensure that necessary action is taken against resorts that are operating illegally.
He called for strictest punishment to be given for such crimes.
“Let me assure, police will do whatever it takes to prosecute the accused. No matter who is the accused,” he said.
“It is unfortunate. Police are working, they have done their work for making the arrests. Strictest punishment would be given for such heinous crimes, whoever be the criminal," he added.