Grewal’s suicide case transferred to Crime Branch

A day after the suicide of an ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal triggered a political row with the detention of top Opposition leaders such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Police on Thursday said that they have transferred the case from a New Delhi district police station to the Crime Branch.

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, senior police officials of the Crime Branch confirmed that they have initiated the matter under Section 174 of the CrPC of Inquest Proceedings. A senior official of the Branch said that they will investigate at the audio clips, verify the authenticity of the suicide note left by Grewal and examine the toxicology report. 

The Crime Branch will also look at the probe conducted by South Avenue police station where the probe was initiated by the Delhi Police. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the 70-year-old retired Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal, a native of Bhiwani in Haryana, had allegedly consumed poisonous substance in the lawns behind Jawahar Bhavan at Lutyens Delhi, which houses some offices of the Ministry of External Affairs. 

Three of his companions who were with Grewal informed the police after they saw him losing conscious. Grewal was rushed to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital where he died hours later. 

Since Wednesday morning, Grewal’s suicide started a political row where AAP MLA Commando Surender, joined by the deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tried to meet the family of Grewal at the RML Hospital. Police added that Ram Kishan Grewal, along with three of his companions, had come to the city apparently to submit a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP.