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Cops accused of pushing Rajasthan lawyer to suicide suspended, last rites held
Police superintendent Anand Sharma said the lawyer’s post-mortem was conducted and his body was cremated after talks with the family
The family of a 47-year-old lawyer, who allegedly died by suicide on Monday in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, conducted his last rites on Wednesday after seven policemen accused of harassing him were suspended.
The lawyer was found hanging at his home on Monday. His family earlier alleged police tortured him for his campaign against drugs, refused to accept the body, and held a demonstration.
Police superintendent Anand Sharma said the lawyer’s post-mortem was conducted and his body was cremated after talks with the family. He added the seven policemen were suspended late on Tuesday and the lawyer’s widow lodged a case against them.
Special Operation Group of the Rajasthan Police will probe the matter and ₹30 lakh financial assistance will be provided to the family. The local Bar Association will raise the money with the administration’s help.
Police said the lawyer in April brought three men to a police station and accused them of being peddlers but no drugs were recovered from them. Later, the three alleged advocates and others thrashed them and extorted ₹8000. A video was also shot while thrashing them.
Police said the lawyer was injured when they were forced to use mild force to disperse a mob demanding the arrest of the three on April 18. They added the lawyer registered a case against the police for thrashing him while the three lodged a First Information Report against him under the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The lawyer did not leave any suicide note, but his family maintained he was under stress as police were harassing him repeatedly after the case was registered.
