Nagpur Varsity scam — Oppn stages walkout

In a written reply, the Minister of State for Home, Manikrao Thakre, said Shende had committed suicide on July 19, 1999 due to personal reasons.

However, after persistent queries from the Opposition, Thakre said Shende might have lost his mental balance following unearthing of the marks scam and it might be the reason behind his committing suicide. Shende was working for some time under Yadav Kohchade, the prime accused in the marks scam. But he was not named in the scam as an accused, the Ministersaid.

Far from satisfying the Opposition, the reply evoked a sharp protest from the Opposition benches. They alleged that Thakre was misleading the House, and demanded clarification from him for the `discrepancy’ in his reply. They also demanded that the question be withheld.

Intervention by Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Chhagan Bhujbal made little difference. The Opposition members continued to protest even as Bhujbal said police investigations established that Shende had committed suicide. The deceased had not left any clue as to what led to his suicide, he said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Narayan Rane, raised an objection to Bhujbal’s reply, alleging the government was making contradictory statements and misguiding the House. The question should be withheld for getting detailed information, Rane demanded.