Acting swiftly over alleged suicide case of Topchanchi Officer in-charge Umesh Kachhap, the State Government on Sunday announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for his family members and a Government job for his wife at Police headquarters in Ranchi.
On demands of CBI inquiry made by family members and other organisations, a two-member committee has also been formed which will further submit its primary report within one week, on the basis of which, decision over a CBI probe will be taken later by the Government.
“Cabinet Secretary SS Meena and ADG (CID) Ajay Kumar Singh has been entrusted with the responsibility of investigations into the matter who will submit their report within a week. If the report does not come out to be satisfactory for us, then the State Government will refer the matter to the CBI,” said president of the Adivasi Vikas Parishad Birsa Oraon. The State Government has also assured to fulfil almost all demands put before them, he added.
Oraon further said all three police officers - Baghmara DSP Mazahrul Hoda, Circle Inspector DK Jha and Officer in Charge of Hariharpur Police Station Santosh Kumar Rajak, have been called back to Ranchi Police lines and Dhanbad SSP Surendra Nath Jha has been asked to keep out of the inquiry so that it does not get influenced by him, he said.
A delegation comprising Oraon, ex-minister Deo Kumar Dhan, Ranjeet Toppo, Niranjana Toppo, Anil Tiger and Prabhakar Nag had gone to CM house to meet his Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar on the instructions of Chief Minister Raghubar Das. Das was in Dumka to attend a programme organised by the BJP.
Officer in-charge of Topchanchi Police Station Umesh Kachhap was found hanging from the ceiling of his Government quarter on Friday night under suspicious circumstances. Family members, however, claimed Kachhap could not commit suicide and alleged a conspiracy against him. According to wife Chandramani Kachhap, her husband was under pressure for the last 3-4 days since the truck driver was shot at Rajganj under Hariharpur Police Station in Dhanbad.
“He had told us over phone that in spite of the fact that the matter was not related to his police station, his name was being deliberately dragged into it. He also said they have sought explanation in this regard; how could he give any explanation in the matter in which he was not involved,” said nephew Vipin Kachhap. “We are doubtful over the whole episode hence we have been demanding CBI Enquiry into the case,” he added.
Vipin further added Kachhap also informed them that hurdles were also being created while submitting his reply to the show-cause issued against him.
Earlier, family members of Kachhap along with the members of several tribal organisations gheraoed the CM House for over three hours demanding CBI inquiry into the case along with strict action against those whoever was found guilty into the whole episode registering a case of section 306 against them.
Police Association was also of the view that it was not a case of a simple suicide rather Kachhap was prompted to take such a harsh step by forcing him to undertake such pressure.
“Death of Kachhap was a result of negligence on the part of senior officers and their autocratic attitude towards their subordinates hence strict action must be taken against those found guilty into the whole episode. A guideline from the DG level must be issued in this regard on the lines of Bihar so that the subordinates do not get tortured by senior officers,” said president of Jharkhand Police Association Yogendra Singh. It was not acceptable that Kachhap, having an experience of over 22 years in the service, had to commit suicide just after four days of his joining as OC at Topchanchi Police Station, added Singh.
Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, taking a serious note of the issue, has also demanded an inquiry from senior IAS and IPS officers after forming a Special Investigating Team (SIT) or simply hand over to the CBI for independent investigations.