BJP women’s wing leader in Surat dies by suicide

Dipika’s friend and BJP corporator Chirag Solanki, who purportedly was the last person to speak to her, reached her house and inquired about her to the children who were on the ground floor. When he knocked on her bedroom door, there was no response. Solanki broke open the door. One of the children called Harish, who immediately rushed to the spot after learning about the incident, said Surat police.

Solanki called up a doctor, who found her unconscious, and an Althan police constable — both friends — who took Dipika to the New Civil Hospital (NCH) on the doctor’s advice. Doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Police rushed to the hospital and later to the house to find out if she had left a suicide note.

Police seized her two mobile phones and found several photos, but some chats were missing, they said. They sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory to retrieve the deleted data. Althan police lodged an accidental death case and have started a probe.

Speaking to The Indian Express, deputy commissioner of police zone 4 Vijaysinh Gurjar said, “The post-mortem was carried out and it was confirmed that she committed suicide by hanging. We found that she was financially quite sound and she even had a good relationship with her husband, children, and in-laws. She was a housewife but was active in politics. We are trying to find out the reason behind her taking such a drastic step of ending her life.”

Police officials involved in the investigations team said that the victim had on Sunday till 1.30 pm spoke to Solanki on call 15 times. Police said that her regular phone records history shows that she was in constant touch with Solanki — they used to call each other 20 to 25 times a day. Police have started questioning Solanki.

A BJP leader said, “Dipika Patel joined the BJP around five years ago, and in the last couple of years, she was made BJP women wing president of ward no 30, Althan. She was an active member of the party and participated in all meetings.” The incident sent shockwaves in the Surat BJP, who were seen discussing the issue on Sunday and Monday.

Solanki did not respond to multiple calls from The Indian Express.