📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Politics
FIR filed against former CM Harish Rawat over protest on Sikkim Governor in Ankita Bhandari case
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 17 Oct 2026, 05:01 AM
👁 13
A first information report has been lodged against former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat for his role in a protest against the Sikkim Governor linked to the Ankita Bhandari case.
The police have registered a first information report (FIR) against Harish Rawat, the former chief minister of Uttarakhand, in connection with a protest directed at the Governor of Sikkim. The protest was staged as part of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ankita Bhandari case, which has drawn public attention across several states.
According to the filing, Rawat's involvement in the demonstration is alleged to have violated specific provisions of the law, prompting authorities to take formal action. The FIR cites his participation and alleged incitement of the crowd as the basis for the complaint.
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed further details about the investigation, but they confirmed that the case will be pursued in accordance with standard legal procedures. The development adds a new dimension to the already sensitive Ankita Bhandari matter, which continues to be monitored by both political and legal observers.
Harish Rawat, who served as Uttarakhand's chief minister from 2012 to 2017, has previously been involved in various political controversies, but this is the first instance of a criminal complaint being lodged against him in relation to the Sikkim Governor protest.
The incident underscores the heightened scrutiny of political actions linked to high‑profile legal cases, and it may have implications for upcoming electoral dynamics in the region.
According to the filing, Rawat's involvement in the demonstration is alleged to have violated specific provisions of the law, prompting authorities to take formal action. The FIR cites his participation and alleged incitement of the crowd as the basis for the complaint.
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed further details about the investigation, but they confirmed that the case will be pursued in accordance with standard legal procedures. The development adds a new dimension to the already sensitive Ankita Bhandari matter, which continues to be monitored by both political and legal observers.
Harish Rawat, who served as Uttarakhand's chief minister from 2012 to 2017, has previously been involved in various political controversies, but this is the first instance of a criminal complaint being lodged against him in relation to the Sikkim Governor protest.
The incident underscores the heightened scrutiny of political actions linked to high‑profile legal cases, and it may have implications for upcoming electoral dynamics in the region.