BJP manipulates courts and appoints accused murderer Dushyant Gautam Governor?

checkthis · automated fact-check · How we check · Reel by @dhruvrathee

Claims linking Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam to the Ankita Bhandari murder case are misleading. Ankita's father and opposition parties have accused Gautam of being the 'VIP' involved in the crime. However, Gautam denies this, maintaining he was never named as an accused or charge-sheeted by investigators, and he has filed a defamation lawsuit against those linking him to the case. An official investigation led to life sentences for convicts, a Special Investigation Team, and a CBI probe. Meanwhile, it is true that Ashutosh and Saurav remain in jail without bail.

3 claims checked
4 sources
Checked 25 Oct 2026
Main source: India Today

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⚖️ Where the case stands

🗣️ Alleged

“Ankita’s father alleged that a VIP played a key role in his daughter’s murder and claimed that Gautam was the one responsible.” Ankita Bhandari murder: Parents protest at India Gate over Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor - The Tribune, 2026-10-14
“opposition parties alleging that he was the 'VIP' whose role is under scrutiny in the case” From Delhi to Dehradun, Congress intensifies protests seeking fair probe in Ankita Bhandari murder case | India News, 2026-10-18
Their response: “he has never been named as an accused, charge-sheeted, or implicated by any investigating agency in the case.” All India Radio, 2026-01-07
Their response: a defamation case: “In an interim order passed on a defamation lawsuit by Gautam, Justice Mini Pushkarna also restrained the two political parties from posting any content targeting the BJP leader.” All India Radio, 2026-01-07

❓ Still open

No court has ruled on the allegations above in any source we found.

The trick: Picks only some facts

It shows the facts that fit and leaves out those that don't (known as cherry-picking).

“अंकिता भंडारी murder case में भी जो VIP accused थे दुष्यंत गौतम BJP के leader उन्हें BJP ने अब सिक्किम का governor बना दिया है ताकि अंकिता भंडारी के लिए justice मिलना और भी मुश्किल हो जाए।”

It presents a court's application of a legal precedent as blatant political bias and elevates political allegations to official criminal charges.

How this trick works and how to answer it →

What we checked

It implies: Courts deny bail to activists and grant it to murder convicts based on political affiliation.Why No Bail For Umar Khalid is Not Judicial Bias

The Allahabad High Court stayed the conviction of a murder convict because he wanted to contest elections on a BJP ticket.No reliable source found for this yet.

BJP leader Dushyant Gautam, who was accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, was appointed Governor of Sikkim by the BJP government.No reliable source found for this yet.

Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das are in jail and denied bail by court solely for unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar.No reliable source found for this yet.

Connected

The same claim was checked in another Reel (@unknown, ): “The Allahabad High Court suspended the conviction of a murder convict who expressed a desire to contest…”, found true (see it)
The same claim was checked in another Reel (@unknown, ): “The prime suspect in the Ankita Bhandari murder case is the Governor of Sikkim.”, found not confirmed (see it)

What the Reel doesn't tell you

The High Court's decision to stay the murder convict's sentence relied on a Supreme Court precedent regarding public representatives.

What each side says

The Judiciary (Delhi and Allahabad High Courts)The Allahabad High Court stated that politicians have a right to contest elections and that the conviction deserved to be stayed during appeal. Allahabad HC stays conviction of murder convict who wishes to contest 2027 UP polls

The Ruling BJP Party and GovernmentThe BJP maintained there is no evidence linking Dushyant Gautam to the Ankita Bhandari case. Dushyant Gautam’s gubernatorial role puts Uttarakhand BJP in a bind amid Ankita Bhandari murder row | India News

How it plays you

It wants you to think: “The judicial system is entirely compromised and operates solely on instructions from the ruling party.”

Judges rule on specific legal frameworks and material before them, not political directives. One court's reliance on Supreme Court precedent or an executive magistrate's peace bond order does not prove systemic corruption.

Sweeping generalization: “देश में आज law and order का यही हाल हो गया है। खुलेआम जनता का मजाक बनाया जा रहा है इस पूरे system के द्वारा”. It takes two vastly different, unlinked court cases to declare that the nation's entire law and order framework is a farce.
Loaded language: “अंधभक्त अभी भी इनके लिए तालियां बजा रहे हैं।”. It uses derogatory labels to mock citizens who support the ruling party, shutting down reasoned debate.

Short version

⚠️ MISLEADING 👉 Claims linking Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam to the Ankita Bhandari murder case are misleading. 👉 An official investigation led to life sentences for convicts, a Special Investigation Team, and a CBI probe. 🎭 Trick: Picks only some facts 🔎 Full check: send this Reel to @checkthis.chat