Dushyant Kumar Gautam was sworn in as the 19th Governor of Sikkim during a ceremony at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok on Monday. His appointment has sparked protests amid controversy related to the Ankita Bhandari case.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Sikkim High Court Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque. Present at the ceremony were Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, members of the Council of Ministers, the Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, High Court judges, Lok Sabha MP, MLAs, and other dignitaries.
After the oath, the Chief Minister introduced the Speaker, council members, MLAs, and other officials to the new Governor. Gautam was then honored with a ceremonial Guard of Honour by the Sikkim Armed Police.
Appointed by President Droupadi Murmu on October 12, 2026, Gautam succeeds Om Prakash Mathur as the state's 19th Governor.
Prior to the swearing-in, youths and politically unaffiliated citizens held a peaceful dharna at the District Administrative Centre in Gangtok, opposing Gautam's appointment.
The protestors demanded that the Centre delay his appointment until the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged VIP involvement in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case is complete.
