The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a status report from the Punjab Police on the investigation into the alleged suicide of a Dalit man on September 8 at a Sangrur village.
The Dalit man reportedly raised questions about the availability of drugs in his village during a public interaction with finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema. He later died by allegedly consuming poison. His family alleged that he faced pressure following the incident.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ravinder Singh, a resident of Mohali, demanding transfer of probe to an independent agency or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the FIR registered on September 8.
“.. the circumstances of this case give rise to a reasonable apprehension that the investigation does not inspire the confidence of the victim’s family and the general public if it continues under the administrative control of the state government,” the PIL said.
During the hearing, the court sought to know how a minister could be held responsible for the extreme step to which the petitioner lawyer informed the court that the minister was among those named by the deceased in the video in question.
{{/usCountry}}During the hearing, the court sought to know how a minister could be held responsible for the extreme step to which the petitioner lawyer informed the court that the minister was among those named by the deceased in the video in question.
{{/usCountry}}According to the petition, the Dalit man had confronted Cheema during his September 6 visit to Toor Banjara village in Sangrur over availability of drugs in the area citing an example of his son’s addiction. “He had openly raised his voice against the alleged rampant availability and circulation of drugs in his area and had sought to know from where such drugs were entering Punjab and what concrete and effective steps were being taken by the state government and its agencies to curb the drug trade and protect the lives and future of the people, particularly the younger generation,” the PIL said, adding that the same evening, Baljit Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh and Baljinder Kaur, residents of the village “insulted” the Dalit man, threatened him and even used caste-related derogatory words against him. He was also called to a house to apologise for his conduct, the plea added.
According to the petition, the Dalit man could not take “the harassment and humiliation” and “ended life by consuming poisonous substance”. However, before the suicide, he recorded video in which he named the cabinet minister for his extreme step, the PIL said adding that the minister has not even been made an accused because of the “influence” over the local police.
“The local police is hand in glove not only with the accused specifically named in the FIR but also those who have been not made an accused, despite their specific name and attribution having coming forth in the last video of the Dalit man, moments before committing suicide,” the PIL alleged.
The court, while seeking status of probe, has deferred hearing for September 29.