Ankita Bhandari case: BJP expels party leader after son's arrest

The BJP Saturday expelled Vinod Arya and his son from the party, a day after the leader’s another son was arrested in the murder case of a woman receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri.

The brother of the accused was also removed as vice president of the state OBC commission by the government.

Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit — who owns the resort in Pauri’s Yamkeshwar block — was arrested Friday along with two employees of the facility for allegedly killing the receptionist, who had been missing for the past few days.

The party’s media incharge Manveer Chauhan said on Saturday that action has been taken against Vinod Arya and his son Ankit on the orders of state BJP president Mahendra Bhatt.

Vinod Arya, a party leader from Haridwar, has formerly served as a chairman of the Uttarakhand Mati Board with a state minister’s rank.

Secretary (Social Welfare) L Fanai said Ankit has been removed as the vice president of state OBC Commission.

The three murder accused — Pulkit Arya, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar and assistant manager Ankit Gupta — were sent to 14-day judicial custody by a court on Friday.

Police early Saturday recovered the body of the receptionist from the Cheela canal where the accused had allegedly dumped her.