In a tragic incident, a 27-year old youth Shiv Saroj Kumar of Dhanbad allegedly committed suicide here after forwarding an e-mail to the PMO and other top police officials in the State Government alleging atrocities by police officials in the name of interrogation.
He had earlier approached Chutia Police Station to lodge a complaint after allegedly being abducted by some people with an intention of loot.
In his suicide note, Kumar has held Officer in-Charge of Chutia police station Ajay Kumar Verma and City DSP Shambhu Kumar Singh directly responsible for his death. Verma has been removed from Chutia Police Station.
CM Raghubar Das took cognisance in the matter and has ordered DGP DK Pandey to complete probe within 24 hours and furnish a report. “The e-mail was sent at around 7:45 pm on Wednesday following which Kumar could not be traced out as his mobile was switched off. His dead body was recovered hanging from a tree in front of Nagrmal Modi Seva Sadan Hospital under Kotwali police station. Several teams have been formed to investigate the matter and is personally being monitored by the SSP,” said Ranchi Range DIG AV Homkar. FSl and CID have also been roped in and the matter is expected to be cleared very soon, he added.
“Investigations are still on regarding the allegations made against the City DSP and Chutia OC. They are also being asked to put light on the matter. Further action will be taken accordingly as the facts come to us,” said the DIG. Investigations are being done keeping every aspect into consideration, he added.
Meanwhile, Police are also investigating credentials of Kumar and the purpose of his coming to Ranchi.
“Some contradictory facts have also come up during the investigations, which are being verified from the concerned departments,” said Homkar.
Kumar’s father Suresh Kumar in his statement recorded with Police said that his son committed suicide due to Police atrocities.
“My son called me on July 30 and said that he had been abducted by some people who had given him anesthesia following which his phone was disconnected. later, I came to know that some incident has taken place with my son following which I came to Ranchi.
When I went to Chutia Police Station on July 31 with son, I was tortured by the Police,” he said. After being tortured by the Police, my son went out with Rs 1200 leaving me in the Hotel on Wednesday and the police told me on Thursday morning that my son has committed suicide, he added.
An unnatural death case has been registered at Kotwali Police Station on the basis of the statement recorded by father Suresh Kumar.
Incidentally, Kumar was recovered by police on July 30 last in unconscious situation from Station Road under Chutia police station. Kumar had claimed that he had been abducted by some unidentified persons. Chutia Police had admitted him to RIMS and was later taken to Medica Hospital on July 31, and was discharged on August 1 and went to Chutia police station the same day. Kumar, however, left the hotel room on August 2, leaving a letter for his father begging his pardon for creating problems for him, which was reported by his father to the police on same day in the evening.
Kumar, according to police, had introduced himself as an IB officer initially, but later during investigations he said that he was an IT officer.
In his suicide note, he had written that he had come to Ranchi for some passport related work on July 29 and was staying at Hotel Radiant in Station Road. When he went out for dinner on July 30, some unidentified persons abducted him. He claimed that he was looted after being narcotized by them and was left near Ranchi lake.
“Police admitted him in the hospital and when he reached Chutia police station to register his complaint after being released from there, he was tortured by Chutia OC and City DSP. They interrogated him and his father like criminals,” stated Kumar in his suicide note. Apprehending that his father might further get tortured by the police, Kumar also appealed everyone to help his father so that he could rest in peace.
Kumar has also stated in his suicide note that they were being forced to change their statement. “I do not want to live any more after whatever happened with me and my father. My father is a humble person and has had never gone to a police station earlier,” he stated in the suicide note. Kumar also alleged that the case has been changed making them accused persons and said that the whole family was being threatened by the police to ruin his career.
Calling police as ‘Wardi wala Gunda’ (uniform clad goons), Kumar raised some serious questions asking people whether Police has the right to abuse people, whether common man has any respect in the police station or not, whether police are meant to solve our problems or increase it and if senior police officials abuse people naming their mothers and sisters what was the difference between him and a road side hoodlum.
“My parents are losing their only son just because of Chutia OC and City DSP and my four sisters are losing their brother just before Raksha Bandhan,” Kumar stated in his suicide note.
Kumar has also forwarded the email to 14 persons including Jharkhand DGP, IG, IG (ACB), IG (CID), DIG, SSP and City SP.