Teaching job aspirant’s suicide: Cops promise action after kin file complaint against Punjab minister Harjot Bains

The woman’s kin said they will continue their protest and will cremate the body only after a case is registered against the Punjab education minister Harjot minister

The protesting family members of a teaching job aspirant, who died by suicide on October 21, filed a complaint against education minister Harjot Bains in Rupnagar on Tuesday.

The protesting family members of a teaching job aspirant, who died by suicide on October 21, filed a complaint against education minister Harjot Bains in Rupnagar on Tuesday.

Rupnagar superintendent of police (SP) Rajpal assured the woman’s kin of action and said the cops will register a daily dairy report (DDR).

The woman’s brother, who, along with other family members, has been sitting on a dharna at the Rupnagar civil hospital for the past two days, said his sister has named the minister in the suicide note. “We got to know about the suicide note from the media and later, the police confirmed it. I have registered a complaint and the police have assured us of action,” he said.

“We have the suicide note and on the basis of it, we will file a DDR. Currently, there is a technical glitch in the software. As soon as it is resolved, a DDR will be filed,” SP Rajpal said while addressing the protesters.

The woman’s kin said they will continue their protest and will cremate the body only after a case is registered against the minister.

HT’s calls and texts to Bains did not elicit any response. “My sister has blamed Bains for taking this extreme step. She had got the appointment letter (for assistant professor’s post) in 2021. However, the appointments were challenged by some candidates in the high court following which the government did not issue the joining letters, leaving many aspirants who had got the appointment letters in limbo. The aspirants have been sitting on a dharna near the residence of Bains at his native village Gambhirpur for the past two months. But the minister failed to resolve the issue following which my sister ended her life by jumping into Sirhind canal,” said the woman’s brother.

Earlier, Rupnagar cops had arrested the husband and father-in-law of the deceased for abetment to suicide on the complaint of her brother. “The earlier complaint was filed on the basis of voice messages on my sister’s phone and we were unaware of any suicide note,” he said.

Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia and BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar have hit out at the government and the police over ‘inaction’ in the case. AAP spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang slammed Opposition leaders for targeting Bains. “Opposition party leaders are propagating a false narrative based on a purported suicide note, targeting Bains. It is a time for dignified reflection, not for the politics of character assassination and false allegations…”, he wrote on X.