Police discovered the body of a female receptionist, allegedly murdered by a BJP leader’s son, from Cheela canal, where the suspect had dumped her, early Saturday.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami communicated the latest developments in the case in a tweet, saying he was saddened by the incident.

Also read: Actor Akhil Iyer to sue Congress over using his face on campaign poster without permission

Pulkit Arya, the main suspect in the case and the owner of the luxury hotel where the victim worked, is the son of Vinod Arya, a Haridwar-based BJP leader.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) ousted Vinod and Ankit Arya, the father, and brother of primary suspect Pulkit, who was detained for the murder in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district.

Also read: Who is Akhil Iyer?

Who is Vinod Arya?

Vinod Arya is a former BJP leader based out of Haridwar and is the former chairman of the Uttarakhand Mati Kala Board. Vinod had been appointed as a state minister but does not hold any government positions.

Vinod Arya was expelled from the party after his son, Pulkit Arya was arrested for the murder of a 19-year-old woman.

Locals set fire to the Vanatara resort in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Pulkit, the son of BJP leader Vinod, owns the resort.

Also read: Who is Mohan Bhagwat?

Ankita Bhandari, 19, went missing a few days earlier and her body was discovered in the early hours of Saturday from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh.

The Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) fished the body out of the barrage.

On Saturday, police in Uttarakhand arrested three people, including Pulkit Arya, on suspicion of murdering Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at a resort in Rishikesh.

Also read: PFI calls dawn-to-dusk strike in Kerala to protest NIA raids

According to police, the three arrested suspects, including the manager of Pulkit Arya’s Vanatara Resort, confessed to pushing Ankita into a canal after a heated argument on September 18 and drowning her.