Probably falseTrick: Guilty by link

Dushyant Kumar Gautam is not the prime suspect: courts convicted resort owner Pulkit Arya and two others for the murder. Gautam was never named, charge-sheeted, or implicated by any investigating agency.

Reliable sources say otherwise. · checked 14 Oct 2026 · Politics

The post we checked

The murder of 19-year-old receptionist Ankita Bhandari at the Vanantra Resort in 2022 led to a major judicial milestone on May 30, 2025, when the Kotdwar…

The trick: Guilty by link

It tars someone with the views or acts of people linked to them (known as guilt by association).

"Prime Suspect in Ankita Bhandari Case (Uttarakhand) is now Governor of Sikkim"

Labeling someone a prime suspect based on unproven political allegations when courts have convicted specific individuals does not establish their involvement.

How this trick works and how to answer it →

What we checked

The prime suspect in the Ankita Bhandari murder case was appointed as the Governor of Sikkim.India Today

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President Droupadi Murmu appointed senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.India Today + 2 more

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The Kotdwar District Court convicted Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta for the murder of Ankita Bhandari, sentencing them to life imprisonment.India Today

What each side says

Uttarakhand CongressProtested the gubernatorial appointment, alleging it was an attempt to shield Gautam because his name was linked to the murder case. ThePrint

Central Government and BJP leadershipDenied the allegations, stating he has never been implicated by investigators, and filed defamation suits against those linking him to the case. Newslaundry

How it plays you

It wants you to think: "The ruling party appointed a murder suspect as a governor to shield him from prosecution."

Labeling someone a prime suspect based on political allegations does not make it true. Nothing in the evidence shows official investigating agencies naming or charge-sheeting Gautam, and the appointment was part of a multi-state gubernatorial reshuffle.

Slogan mock: "Nari Vandan in Modi's India". It uses a sarcastic political slogan to provoke anger and make the viewer dismiss the government's official appointments.

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