The BJP on Saturday expelled Vinod and Ankit Arya, the father and brother of Pulkit Arya who is the main accused in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, from the party with immediate effect.

Ankit Arya has also been removed from the post of Deputy Chairman of the Uttarakhand Other Backward Classes Commission with immediate effect.

"Taking the cognizance of the murder of Ankita, State President Mahendra Bhatt has expelled Vinod Arya and his son Ankit Arya, residents of Haridwar district, from the BJP with immediate effect," the party's Uttarakhand unit said in its order in Hindi.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also tweeted the suspension letter.

"In the Ankita murder case, we have removed Ankit Arya, brother of the main accused Pulkit Arya, from the post of nominated vice-chairman of the Uttarakhand Other Backward Classes Commission with immediate effect. Along with this, Ankit Arya and his father Vinod Arya have also been expelled from the BJP," he tweeted.

The body of Bhandari, a 19-year-old who worked at Pulkit Arya's resort Pauri Garhwal, was recovered on Saturday morning from the Chilla canal.

She had gone missing a few days ago.

Pulkit Arya and two others were arrested on Friday night. The accused have confessed to murdering Ankita and throwing her body in the canal.