Also, hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, the Delhi Police shot a letter to New Delhi District Magistrate (DM), saying that the case did not come under the DM’s jurisdiction. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said a report in this regard had already been submitted to the Union Home Ministry.
The FIR states that Singh (41) tied a gamchha (towel) around his neck and further tied it to the branch of a neem tree, barely 50 metre from the dias where AAP leaders were seated. It further states that Singh climbed up the tree around 12.50pm. The police allege that AAP workers and supporters constantly cheered and encouraged Singh, despite being asked not to do so until emergency vehicles arrived. But none, including senior leaders, listened to the police. Instead, they raised slogans that the police have always been anti-AAP, the police stated in the FIR.
When Singh tightened the noose, the police called up the Delhi Fire Service to carry out an immediate rescue operation. A police official, deployed at the spot, said that Singh once jumped from the tree, adding that he did not exactly hang as a part of his body still clung on to the branch where he was standing. “AAP workers and supporters started climbing up the tree, despite being told not to do so, until the rescue operation started. As a result, Singh got hanged,” said the police official.
The police allege that when cops shifted Singh to a police van to take him to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, AAP workers tried to stop them, claiming that Singh was a party worker and would be taken to a hospital only in a party vehicle.
By the time the police reached the hospital, doctors pronounced Singh brought dead. His body was handed over to his relative, but his post-mortem report is still awaited. A case under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC has been registered against unidentified people at the Parliament Street police station. The case was later handed over to the crime branch.
The case is now being pursued by a team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Suresh Kaushik. On Thursday, a crime branch team visited Singh’s village in Dausa, Rajasthan. The police have also collected Singh’s handwriting sample and are trying to verify the suicide note. Singh has reportedly left a suicide note in Hindi, wherein he has stated that the recent crop damage compelled him take to the extreme step. He said he had three children and was disowned by his father. He had nothing in life to look forward to and scribbled his mobile number for his family to be contacted after death.
Delhi DM contests Police argument
The Delhi District Magistrate in a letter on Thursday night contested police’s argument that he has no jurisdiction to probe the matter saying he has statutory power to enquire such cases. DM Sanjay Singh wrote a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Vijay Singh asking the police to furnish all documents and evidences regarding the incident by 11 AM tomorrow failing which it would be deemed a criminal offence as per law. “As per Section 174(1) and Section 176(1) Criminal Procedure Code, a DM has power to probe such matter. Even in previous cases, magisterial enquiry had been conducted.