Manpreet’s former OSD booked in abetment to suicide case

The police also booked Jagjit Singh Bhagtana,who earlier served as the deputy superintendent of police in Gidderbaha,Davinder Singh,who was the station house officer of Kot Bhai (now posted at Mansa),municipal councillor Rajesh Gandhi and a local journalist,Baldev Singh alias Deba,in the case registered under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC.

All four are considered close to Manpreet,who said this was nothing but a political vendetta. A suicide note,claimed to have been written by Tanwar,was found in his pocket. It names Bhagtana,Davinder Singh,Gandhi and Deba as those responsible for forcing him (Gautam) to take the extreme step,said Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police Inder Mohan Singh,adding that Charanjit’s name was added to the FIR on the complaint of the deceased’s wife,Suman. She alleged that the accused used to harass Gautam at the behest of Charanjit.

Earlier in the day,a high drama unfolded in Gidderbaha with Congress activists led by Raghubir Singh staging a protest and raising slogans to demand registration of a case. Raghubir alleged that Gautam ended his life after he was “subjected to continuous harassment over cases in which he had been falsely implicated”. Even though,Raghubir added,two such attempt to murder cases against him were quashed by the court,the police continued to harass him.

Goldy,who identified himself as Gautam’s brother,said: “He (Gautam) had been very tense for the last few days due to harassment by the police. Of late,whenever he would hear any vehicle approaching towards his house,he would fear that the police had come to take him away.”

Gautam,said Goldy,had recently lost one of his legs in an accident at a place near Gurgaon. He said Gautam used Suman’s dupatta to “hang himself from a door”.

Baghtana said Gautam was a criminal who had hired goons to attack people. “I just did my job following complaints against him,” he said.

Davinder Singh said: “Had I ever harassed him,he would have made a complaint against me. Before registration of the case,there should have been verification of the suicide note.” Baldev Singh said Gautam had hired goons to attack him and a case of attempt to murder was registered against him. “Later,there was a compromise between him and me and the case was quashed by the court,” he said. “Gautam had developed gangrene after his accident. He committed suicide because he was upset about this. The suicide note is fake. Gautam has not written it,” said Baldev.

“I do not know who this Gautam was. I had no communication with him at all,” said Rajesh Gandhi,adding: “I am a witness in a case against Raghubir. It is Raghubir who has dragged my name into the case.”

“This (registration of case against Charanjit and others) was expected. They were waiting for an opportunity. This is first in the list and there would be more cases against me as well as my relatives. This is vendetta. This has become a trend that whosoever does not agree with you politically,subject him to vendetta,” said Manpreet Badal,blaming the government led by Shiromani Akali Dal.

Manpreet also raised question marks over the veracity of the suicide note and the suicide itself,saying “while the note has been written in Hindi,the signatures are in English”. “Another thing that appears flimsy in the case is that the person’s one leg had been amputated,while the other was very weak. How could he manage to hang himself,” he added.