Uttarakhand police seek narco test of accused in receptionist murder case

The Uttarakhand police have filed an application in court for a Narco test of the accused in the receptionist murder case to ascertain the truth about the VIP (very important person) for whom the victim was being pressurised to provide “extra service” at the resort in Pauri Garhwal district, a senior official said. The court has fixed the matter for hearing on Monday.

“We filed the application for the Narco test on Friday. The court has fixed the hearing on Monday,” said V Murugesan, additional director general of police (ADGP), law and order, who is also the spokesperson for the state police.

Last Sunday while addressing a press conference, Murugesan had said that the special investigation team (SIT) led by DIG P Renuka Devi investigating the Pauri Garhwal receptionist murder has almost completed the investigation and will file the charge sheet before the due date, in the next ten days.

“Regarding the truth about the VIP room, a presidential suite at the resort, where people who stayed were called VIP, we will conduct the Narco test of the accused. We will file the application in the court soon in this regard,” he had said.

Narco test involves the injection of a drug, sodium pentothal, which induces a hypnotic or sedated state in which the subject’s imagination is neutralised, and they are expected to divulge true information.

Murugesan said the police have collected enough evidence in the case. He said the charges have been filed against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed), 354 (criminal force to any woman) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Since the case involved an expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader’s son, the Opposition Congress has questioned the fairness in the investigation, asking why the police is not revealing the name of the VIP for whom the victim was being pressurised for sexual favours.

The 19-year-old woman, who was working as a receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in the Pauri district, was allegedly murdered by three accused for refusing to provide “extra service” to the VIP guests, the police said. A WhatsApp conversation between the victim and her close friend, which went viral on social media, suggested that the victim was forced to provide “extra service” to the VIP guest expected to come to the resort on September 19.

The receptionist girl’s body was found on September 24, six days after she went missing from her home. According to police, the girl was murdered on September 18. All three accused are currently in jail. The Vanantara resort in Pauri Garhwal is owned by Pulkit Arya, who is the son of now-expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya. The three arrested in the case include Pulkit Arya and two employees of the resort.

The murder had sparked massive outrage and protests were reported from various parts of the state. Angry locals even set fire to the resort. Later, authorities demolished parts of the resort, saying the structures were illegally constructed. A petition was also filed in the high court, accusing BJP legislator Renu Bisht of destroying evidence in the case. Bisht, BJP MLA from Yamkeshwar, was present outside the resort at the time of the demolition. The petitioner, Ashutosh Negi, a resident of Pauri Garhwal, also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter.