An ex-minister of Uttarakhand’s son has been arrested for the murder of a 19-year-old girl.

The son of a former BJP minister in Uttarakhand was among three persons arrested by the state police on Friday for the murder of a 19-year-old woman receptionist working at a resort in the Laxman Jhula area who went missing five days ago, according to top officers.

The police have designated Pulkit Arya, the son of BJP leader Vinod Arya, as the “principal accused” in the case. Vinod Arya served as a State Minister in the preceding BJP government led by Trivendra Singh Rawat.

Pulkit and two others, including the manager of Pulkit’s Vanantra Resort, were charged with murder after confessing to pushing the woman into a canal following an incident, according to police.

According to authorities, the body of the woman, named Ankita Bhandari, has yet to be found. According to police reports, Bhandari came from Srikot village in Pauri Garhwal and was engaged as a receptionist at the resort around a month ago.

“There is a phone conversation in which the girl suggests that the accused are disturbing her. According to the accused, the girl left the resort at 8 p.m. with them to go to Rishikesh. They had momos and liquor, and there was a furious dispute between Pulkit and Ankita along the canal. Ankita threw Pulkit’s phone into the canal during the fight. “He then pushed her into the canal,” according to the SSP.

According to the SSP, other arrestees include resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar and another named Ankit.