A suicide note blows up in Mumbai police’s face

It looked just like any case of suicide that Bargir had filed in his years of duty — until his colleagues discovered a note that he left behind. Bargir said in the note that he had been pressured by his senior officer into registering false cases, and one such case had resulted in life imprisonment for an innocent person.

The note, addressed to the Police Commissioner, says that while he was attached to Oshiwara police station, the then senior inspector, Nand Kumar Chowgule, had made him file false cases. In one of them, the Oshiwara police had arrested a person for kidnapping, rape and murder of a six-year-old girl, the note said.

About a month ago, this person was convicted by the sessions court to life imprisonment, the note adds. There are several other such false cases made at the instance of Chowgule, and therefore an inquiry should be conducted into this entire matter, Bargir’s note says.

Sources said that the note is written on a page torn out of a personal diary, and the date is January 24 and the time 11.25 pm. It says that the idea behind making false cases was to show that there was good investigation and detection at the police station. The letter concludes on a more personal note, requesting the police commissioner to absorb his son in the police department as a clerk.

Chowgule, who is now an assistant police commissioner at the Director General’s office, said that Bargir himself was the investigating officer of the case of rape and murder of the six-year-old girl. Therefore, there was no question of any kind of interference or pressure on him. Chowgule said he is unable to understand the reason behind this incident. An inspector can easily report to higher officers like the zonal deputy police commissioner if he is being put under any kind of pressure by the senior inspector, Chowgule pointed out.

Sources said that Bargir was known to be a very upright officer and was sincere in his work and always tried to help others. This was confirmed by the senior inspector of Oshiwara police station, Puroshottam Mule. Mule said that Bargir was known to be a good officer and had a good record during his tenure at this police station. The suicide is a highly sensitive matter and will be investigated in proper detail, he assured.

Police sources said that the incident brings back memories of the suicide of inspector Mahadev Jadhav, who shot himself while he was attached to Kalchowkie police station. It had been reported that he was being harassed by one of his senior officers.