Dehradun, Jan. 12 -- Uttarakhand on Sunday witnessed a mixed response to the statewide bandh called by various organisations over the Pauri Garhwal receptionist murder case. Protesters demanded a Supreme Court judge-monitored CBI probe, citing the involvement of an alleged VIP. Markets and commercial establishments stayed open across most of the state, though partial shutdowns occurred in a few districts where protesters staged demonstrations and raised slogans for justice. Public transport services ran normally statewide. In Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani, markets remained open, and vehicular movement faced little disruption. Dehradun's busy Paltan Bazar also stayed open despite protesters marching through and urging shopkeepers to close. The bandh gained more traction in hill districts, where markets shut in Srinagar, Gopeshwar, Ghansali and Augustmuni. Police personnel were deployed to prevent untoward incidents. Mohit Dimri, convenor of the Mool Niwas Bhoo Kanoon Samanvay Sangharsh Samiti, alleged, "Traders who kept shops open were friends of VIPs and traitors to Uttarakhand. The agitation is a collective struggle, and the government deployed police at several places to pressure traders into keeping markets open." Dimri demanded a CBI probe under Supreme Court supervision and questioned the government's reluctance, asking if it sought to shield its leaders. Uttarakhand Mahila Manch president Kamla Pant said traders felt confused about whether to open or close shops. "After the chief minister announced a CBI probe, traders were told that shops must remain open. The government also tried to spread the message that there was no bandh today, which is why some markets were open while others remained shut," she said. Pant stressed demands for justice for the Pauri Garhwal receptionist and insisted on a Supreme Court-supervised investigation to identify the alleged VIPs. "Why is the government finding this so difficult? If they are not guilty, they should have no problem with such an inquiry," she said. "We will continue our agitation until a court-monitored CBI probe is ordered and all those involved, regardless of their status, are brought to justice," she said. Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal urged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government to publicise the terms of reference for the CBI probe, alleging deliberate restriction of its scope. "The government wants to limit the scope of this investigation. They are trying to protect the VIP involved in the crime. If the government has even a little honesty, the terms of reference should be made public immediately," Godiyal said. State BJP president Mahendra Bhatt accused certain forces of trying to disturb the state's atmosphere. "Some political parties and organisations are misleading the public, but the people are aware of their vested interests. They received no support from the public. After CM Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a CBI probe, they have been left with no issue, and the protests and bandh attempts reflect their frustration," Bhatt said. The deceased, a Pauri Garhwal resident, worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar, Rishikesh. Rescuers found her body in September 2022 in the Chilla canal. In May 2025, a Kotdwar court in Pauri Garhwal sentenced resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya, along with employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta to life imprisonment. A fresh controversy arose after Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP leader Suresh Rathore, released an audio clip of her alleged telephonic conversation with Rathore, who purportedly revealed a BJP leader's involvement....