The alleged suicide by the city magistrate of Farukhabad, Hemant Kumar Pandey, on Friday morning has set off a controversy, with his wife claiming that her husband was shot dead by a woman he was having an affair with.The police, however, say that all evidence suggests Pandey shot himself with his rifle at his residence.Pandey’s wife Aishwarya says she wasn’t home at the time. However, police did pick up Seema Pandey, the woman the city magistrate was reportedly having an affair with, from his residence.The magistrate is believed to have taken Seema, who is also married and has a son, from Lucknow to Farukhabad on Thursday evening. Police said Seema and Pandey both belonged to Rukunpura village of Ambedkar Nagar district. Seema’s husband Kamal Kumar Pandey has a chemist shop in Chinhat area of Lucknow, while she is a clerk with the Home Guards.“She was involved with the city magistrate. Though the city magistrate’s wife alleged that her husband was shot dead by Seema, preliminary investigation suggests suicide. A team of forensic experts has been pressed into service. Fingerprints have been taken,” Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal (Law and Order) told reporters. Lal added that police were also looking into the calls made on Pandey’s number and found that Seema’s husband had called him up as well as sent him two messages. According to the police, the second message, sent at 6.50 am, said: “Bhai, main apni nazaron mein gir chuka hoon.”
