Former CBI chief’s suicide: Guards quizzed, mobile phone to be sent to forensics dept

Investigations into the October 7 suicide of Ashwani Kumar, 69, formerly Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) as well as Manipur and Nagaland governor, continued with the police recording the statements of three security guards at his residence in the Old Brockhurst locality of Shimla on Saturday and taking his mobile phone and medical records in their possession.

The phone and the viscera preserved after Kumar’s autopsy will be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory in Junga for assessment.

Earlier, police recorded the statements of Kumar’s son Abhishek, who is the a vice president of a Mumbai-based multinational firm and Abhishek’s wife.

The family members have denied any foul play but sleuths are probing all angles to ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of a man known for his ‘integrity “and “professionalism.”

Suffering from depression

Kumar was believed to be suffering from depression and had reportedly been on medication. His suicide note, too, hinted at lows. “I am fed up with my disease and disability. I don’t want to be a burden on my family. There is no point to carry on with life. My soul will soon embark upon a new journey,” he had written in the note, which will be assessed by hand writing experts.

“All the relevant statements are being recorded. We have taken the consent of the family to examine the medical records of the ex-governor,” said superintendent of police, Shimla, Mohit Chawla.

Chawla said it was clear from the evidence that no outsider had entered Kumar’s house.

According to the statement of Kumar’s daughter-in-law to the police, he had gone to the attic of his three storey house for meditation in the evening and when he didn’t respond to calls the family members broke open the doors to find his body hanging.

He had reportedly developed early symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Security guards at Kumar’s residence told the police that they were present at the gates most of the time and rarely went inside the house.

Ashwani Kumar, a 1973-batch Indian Police Service officer, held many high-ranking posts at Himachal Police, CBI as well as the elite Special Protection Group. He was the director of the CBI between August 2008 and November 2010. The first CBI chief to be appointed governor, he was sent to Nagaland in 2013 and to Manipur briefly.