Rajkot suicide: Cop, builder, civic officer booked

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“The lady (Joshi’s wife) gave a written complaint and on the basis of that Malaviynagar police have registered a case under IPC Section 306. Her complaint names a police inspector, a city engineer of RMC and others and we have booked them… We shall also listen to the accused,” Rajkot city police commissioner Mohan Jha told The Indian Express on Wednesday.

Joshi used to assist advocates in Rajkot. In a 23-page suicide note purportedly written by him, Joshi had claimed that he had ownership rights in a residential building named Pandya House near Jubilee Baug in the city. Jaipalsinh had purchased his part of the building against the payment of Rs 55 lakh. However, Jaipalsinh paid only Rs 80,000 and later threatened him when he demanded the remaining amount.

The note also alleged that Mitra owed Joshi Rs 38 lakh as part of an “old account” but refused to pay up. It further alleges that Usha Shah, her landlady, agreed to sell the flat in which he had been living for Rs 20 lakh. Joshi paid him Rs 20 lakh. But later on, Shah asked him to vacate the premises and approached the police. In response, Nakum, who was police inspector of the Detection of Crime Branch then, threatened Joshi and asked him to vacate the flat in five days.

The suicide note also alleges that builder Ramani threatened Joshi that his five-year-old daughter will be kidnapped if he gave police statement as directed by him in the dispute over Pandya House. It further alleges that Ramani’s men threatened Joshi and made him sign at gunpoint that he was selling his share in Pandya’s House for Rs 80 lakh. But the payment was never made, Joshi had written. The FIR is based on this suicide note. “We have collected the suicide note, the most important piece of evidence in this case, as muddamal. We shall collect all the evidence that the lady (complainant) has. We shall listen to both the parties. But since the case involves high-ranking officials, no arrest will be made without intimating the Commissioner of Police or joint commissioner,” Jha added. On the delay in filing the case, Dipali told police that due to the death of her husband, she was not in a condition to approach police. Malaviyanagar police summoned her Wednesday evening to record her statement.