Parents of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered at a resort in Uttarakhand in 2022, staged a protest near the India Gate on Wednesday, demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor be put on hold until the ongoing CBI investigation into the case is complete.BJP leader Gautam’s name has been repeatedly dragged into the case by Ankita’s family and activists as the alleged VIP linked to it. He was appointed the Governor of Sikkim on Monday.Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was killed on September 18, 2022.Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices have been convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.The case hogged the political spotlight over allegations that an unidentified VIP was linked to the crime. Ankita’s family and activists have demanded an investigation into the alleged VIP angle, with Gautam’s name being raised in connection with the allegations.Gautam has denied the accusations and initiated defamation proceedings against them.“Dushyant Gautam should not be appointed governor until the CBI investigation is complete,” Ankita’s mother said, as she broke down while sitting on the pavement near the India Gate.Ankita’s father alleged that a VIP played a key role in his daughter’s murder and claimed that Gautam was the one responsible. The allegations against Gautam, however, remain unproven.“We have heard that the VIP had a major role in my daughter’s murder. Now, the Centre and the Uttarakhand government have appointed Gautam as the governor of Sikkim,” he said.Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the parents of Ankita Bhandari, who were protesting at India Gate, demanding justice for their daughter, and expressed solidarity with them.Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Congress leaders.Gandhi had earlier met Bhandari’s parents in August and had said four years have passed and they are still awaiting justice for an unforgivable crime against their daughter.