Dushyant Kumar Gautam Takes Oath As Sikkim Governor Amid Row

Dushyant Kumar Gautam was sworn in as the 19th Governor of Sikkim at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok on Monday. His appointment comes amid protests in the state over the controversy surrounding him in connection with the Ankita Bhandari case.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Sikkim High Court Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque in the presence of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, members of the Council of Ministers, Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, judges of the High Court, Lok Sabha MP, MLAs and other dignitaries.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, the Chief Minister introduced the Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, members of the Council of Ministers, MLAs and other dignitaries to the newly sworn-in Governor.

The Governor was subsequently accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour by the Sikkim Armed Police.

Dushyant Kumar Gautam was appointed as the Governor of Sikkim by President Droupadi Murmu on October 12, 2026. He succeeds Om Prakash Mathur as the state's 19th Governor.

Last week, youths and citizens with no political affiliation staged a peaceful dharna at the District Administrative Centre in Gangtok, opposing the appointment of the senior BJP leader as Governor.

The protestors demanded that the Centre defer his appointment until the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case is completed.