Bathinda: More than 48 hours after a local trader allegedly died by suicide, his family on Sunday refused to allow the post-mortem until the names of a police officer and another person were added to the abetment-to-suicide FIR.
Incident Details
Sandeep Kumar (32), a building materials dealer, allegedly consumed poison on April 24. Before his death, he recorded a video clip accusing five people of harassing him: typist Raman Jain, his wife Renu Bala (a judge's reader), their relative, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and the DSP's reader. After the family held a protest outside the civil hospital, Jain and Renu Bala were arrested the next day. The couple had been locked in a payment dispute with Kumar and had filed a police complaint against him. Kumar's family alleged that subsequent police harassment forced him to take the extreme step.
Family's Demands
While the FIR registered on April 25 included the couple and their relative, the names of the police officer and his reader were missing. “We want all the persons named in the suicide note included in the FIR,” said Kumar's brother Manish Kumar. The family has received support from the Beopar Mandal and the district unit of the BJP. BJP Bathinda district president Sarup Chand Singla and Beopar Mandal president Amit Kapoor threatened to hold protests if justice is denied.
Police Response
Bathinda SP City Narinder Singh said the police were in touch with the family to persuade them to agree to a post-mortem. “Efforts are being made to arrest Brar, and the role of other police officials is being investigated,” he added. The situation remains tense as the family continues its protest.
