A local journalist, who allegedly tried to commit suicide in front of the Madhya Pradesh Secretariat here on Tuesday, succumbed at a hospital.
Journalist Rajendra Kumar, who used to run a weekly newspaper, had consumed poison while demanding action against corruption in the State Government. He was admitted to Hamidia hospital where he died late last night. Sources said prior to his suicide bid, Kumar had sent a message to a senior police official and his journalist friends saying that he was allegedly being threatened by officials against whom he had filed a Public Interest litigation (PIl) in the High Court.
The journalist is reported to have used the RTI to find documents about officials who did not belong to the SC category but had used fake certificates to get jobs. Rajendra had also claimed that though no action was being taken against guilty officials, he was being pressurised to withdraw his complaint.
Meanwhile, Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into the death of a local journalist who committed suicide after allegedly being threatened by certain officials against whom he had filed a PIl in the High Court for forging caste certificates.
“The Congress demands CBI probe into the suicide of Rajendra Kumar as he had taken the extreme step before the room of the State Chief Secretary on Tuesday,” the State unit Congress vice-president Rameshwar Neekhra told reporters. Thirty nine-year-old Kumar, who used to run a weekly newspaper, had consumed poison on Tuesday while demanding action against alleged corruption in the State Government. Kumar was admitted to Hamidia hospital where he died late night, police said.
Neekhra said that Kumar came to know through RTI that nearly 300 officials who did not belong to the SC category had used fake certificates to get jobs, and was receiving death threats from them. Kumar who had filed a PIl in the High Court on the issue was being pressurised to withdraw it, he said. “Since the entire State is being run from Mantralaya and Kumar taking the extreme step in front of the CS’ office, it’s a matter of concern as it is associated with the security of the Secretariat and reflects poorly on government’s sensitivity,” Neekhra added.
He demanded that the Election Commission should also take cognisance of the matter since state is bound by Model Code of Conduct and also initiate steps to terminate services of the employees Kumar mentioned in his plea.
In a separate release, State Congress leader and Opposition leader Ajay Singh expressed his deep condolence to the demise of the journalist Rajendra Kumar. Terming the suicide committed by a journalist just outside the chamber of the Chief Secretary of State on Tuesday as unfortunate, Singh alleged that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government had become deaf, dump and insensitive.
Asking the State Government to take appropriate action in the alleged fake certificate cases, which the journalist tried to bring up the issues, the leader of Opposition said that the Government officials responsible for the suicide of journalist Rajendra Kumar should be held accountable and punish and also a Government job be provided to a family member of the deceased.
“On the one hand certificates of Dalit and Tribals are not made in the State due to which they are committing suicides and on the other hand no action is being taken against those who are encroaching upon the rights of actual Dalit and Tribals by getting Government jobs through fake caste certificates,” he added.
The Congress leader also demanded strict action against those responsible for the suicides committed due to the insensitivities of the Government and administration. A case pertaining to abetment of suicide should also be registered against those officials who are responsible for the suicides of Rajpal Kathele, an engineering student who was forced to commit suicide few days ago as his caste certificate could not be made despite making many efforts. Journalist Rajendra Kumar ended his life just outside the Chief Secretary’s room as the government was not taking any action on his pleas, he added.
Ajay said that the Shivraj Government was of dissemblance and it had done dissemblance of being well-wisher of all sections of the society but the interest of all the sections remained neglected.