On the recommendations of Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi, SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi today formed Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by SP (Rural) rajkumar lakra to get into the details of the cause of death of farmer Kaleshwar Mahto who allegedly committed suicide on Saturday in Pithoria near Ranchi. Meanwhile, the report submitted by the four member probe committee formed by Agriculture Secretary stated that the elder brother of Mahto was not aware of the suicide and he got to know about it only through Newspapers.
The panel also stated that there was no pressure by bank to recover KCC loan of Mahto’s wife and no notice was given.
“SIT consisting Rural SP Rajkumar lakra; City DSP, Shambhu Kumar Singh; Silli DSP Satish Chandra; DSP (HQ) - I Amit Kacchap; officer in charge of Pithoria Police Station Chunwa Oraon alongwith Technical Cell in-charge of SSP office, has been formed and will start investigation after lodging a case of unnatural death in this regard,” said Dwivedi. The SIT has been directed to gather information by taking help of Forensic Science laboratory team and other sources and submit a report in this regard, he added. The SSP further said that the investigation and action taken in this regard will be monitored by Rural SP who will be reported by the team on daily basis. The decision was taken after DC Manoj Kumar asked the SSP to get the matter investigated in a detailed manner after doubts of foul play was raised in the report submitted by the investigation team under the panel headed by SDO Bhor Singh Yadav formed by the district administration.
“Following doubts raised by Sadar SDO Bhor Singh Yadav in his report regarding the family members not informing the police, cremating the dead body in a haste and family members unable to provide hard copy of the suicide note even though it is viral on the social media, I have requested SSP Ranchi to initiate fresh investigation after lodging a case of unnatural death by forming SIT,” said DC Manoj Kumar.
The DC further said that the time mentioned in the suicide note and the time of cremation also are controversial as it is written 4 pm on the suicide note while the dead body was cremated at 3 pm as told by the family members and villagers.
“Prima facie it does not appear to be a case of suicide hence, the SSP has been requested to submit a detailed report after getting it investigated properly by the SIT,” DC said.
Report of the probe committee led by Director Agriculture also stated that no notice was sent to deceased wife Manorama Devi against the Kisan Credit Card loan of Rs 40,000 taken in her name in the year 2009 which was converted into a term loan after she become a defaulter and the current outstanding was Rs 61608. Mahto, according to the report, was given a KCC loan earlier also but was waived in the year 2009 under Agriculture debt scheme.
The probe committee also raised questions over the local police being clueless of the incident even though the Semal Beda TOP under Pithoria police station is located at a walking distance from Mahto’s house. The family members of the villagers did not bother to inform the police and the body was cremated without postmortem,” stated the report.
The report also stated that the elder brother of Maho revealed before the probe committee that Mahto was suffering from heat stroke for the last few days due to which his body had become pale.
Agriculture Secretary Pooja Singhal had formed a four-member committee on Monday comprising Director, Agriculture, Rajiv Kumar, Joint Secretary Rajdeep John lakra and two Deputy Directors, Om Prakash Yadav and Aniruddha Kumar to find out the actual cause of the death.
Notably, Kaleshwar Mahto, 44, a farmer, allegedly committed suicide on Saturday by hanging himself from a tree near his field in broad day light apparently due to the pressure of mounting bank loan taken from Kisan Credit Card and damage of crops at Semal Beda village under Pithoria police station, 25 kilometers from the State Capital.