Apart from demanding financial assistance and a Government job, family members of the journalist-cum-RTI activist, Rajendra Kumar, who succumbed after a suicide bid on October 15, urged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation to further investigate into the incident.
It may be mentioned that the State police department had already constituted a probe team led by Rajesh Mishra, Station House Officer of Parvaliya police station to find out truth behind the claims of the deceased journalist.
Report said that before he took the extreme step, Kumar had sent a message to a senior police official and his journalist colleagues 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 was 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.
In a meeting with the Chief Minister on Saturday, family members of Kumar had expressed fear about their security and requested for protection. They also reportedly urged Chouhan that the investigation be done by a central agency as they did not trust with the State agency.
Kumar’s daughter Akansha after meeting Chouhan said that they had demanded CBI inquiry into the matter as they did not want to rely on State police inquiry. Akansha said that Chief Minister had given assurance regarding the financial aid and a Government job and also reportedly informed about well being of the family members.
Early during the day, family members were not allowed to meet CM by police as Chouhan was reportedly down with some illness. later they were allowed to meet him.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Bhopal Zone SK Jha has instructed to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) which would investigate the matter.
The SIT would include police personnel of Jehangirabad and Govindpura police stations and City Superintendent of Police Jehangirabad Salim Khan will monitor the investigation.