New Delhi: Following mass protests and public outrage across the state against possible shielding of a ‘VIP’ in the high-profile 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami finally approved a CBI probe in the matter on January 9.In a separate development in the matter, an FIR was registered in Dehradun in relation to a complaint filed by Padma Bhushan awardee Anil Joshi seeking a probe against the VIP allegedly involved in the case. Meanwhile, opposition parties and various other civil society organisations called for a state bandh on January 11, following which the state police has made extensive preparations to maintain law and order.Who is the VIP?The alleged VIP was identified as BJP’s national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam by an aggrieved actress and former wife of an ex-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Urmila Sanawar. Gautam, however, had denied all such allegations and filed a defamation suit against Sanawar. The Delhi high court passed an interim order last week ordering the removal of social media posts linking Gautam with the murder case. However, with a CBI probe and Joshi’s complaint, the VIP angle has become even more controversial. Joshi is an environmentalist who runs the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation. “Although the accused involved in the Ankita Bhandari murder case have already been punished, it is being claimed on social media and other platforms that certain pieces of evidence in the case were concealed or destroyed,” Joshi said.“Therefore, to ensure complete justice, it is necessary that this independent offence, allegedly involving the unidentified ‘VIP’ individuals, be investigated. Since the entire matter relates to these unidentified ‘VIPs’, a separate, independent and impartial investigation is required to bring the facts to light,” he said.Speaking on the matter, IG Garhwal, Rajeev Swaroop, said that further action will be based on the FIR registered at Vasant Vihar police station in Dehradun. “Many allegations and rumours are being levelled and circulated regarding the murder of Ankita. As a result, the chief minister spoke with the parents, and they demanded a CBI probe. The chief minister directed us to initiate the process. The FIR registered on Saturday has been sent to the PHQ (police headquarters), which will be sent to the secretariat and later forwarded to the central government for the CBI to investigate,” he said. “Since the first day, the chief minister has asked us to work proactively. The SIT, helmed by a woman officer, probed the matter thoroughly. The accused were convicted with a harsh punishment. The police and government have ensured that justice is served. However, allegations have resurfaced… The chief minister has directed that the matter be taken up to the higher levels,” he said. ‘New FIR a way to shield the VIP’Joshi’s complaint is being seen by the Congress as a way to shield the alleged “VIP” in the case. Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana said, “Even after recommending a CBI probe, preparations have simultaneously begun to shield the alleged VIPs. The first step in this direction is the FIR filed by Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, on which the investigation will be conducted by the CBI.”“There was no need for this new FIR, as the Ankita Bhandari case is governed by the original FIR that was initially registered at Laxmanjhula police station. That FIR was investigated, followed by the filing of a chargesheet, and a trial was conducted in the Sessions Court at Kotdwar, culminating in the conviction of three accused,” he said. “…from the statement of the IG, Garhwal, it appears that instead of following this established legal process, the CBI may proceed with the investigation on the basis of this new FIR filed by Dr Anil Prakash Joshi,” he added.CPI(ML) state secretary Indresh Maikhuri also concurred with the Congress’s view. He said that Joshi’s complaint raises serious doubts about the intentions of the Uttarakhand government. “Anil Prakash Joshi has never had any role in this case and is generally known for his pro-government stance. This leads to the suspicion that the Uttarakhand government is once again attempting to mislead in this matter,” he said.State bandhThe Garhwal IG said that although everyone has the right to protest peacefully, no one will be allowed to take law into their own hands. Responding to the call for the bandh, former Congress chief minister Harish Rawat said, “This is part of an ongoing struggle. Until the government conducts a CBI investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, under the oversight of a Supreme Court judge, we will continue to demand and continue to fight because investigating this murder and its various aspects is essential,” Rawat stated. He also said that the new FIR should have been filed by Ankita’s parents, and not Joshi.