Suicide case: BJP demands resignation of Maharashtra minister

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the resignation of soil and water conservation minister Shankarrao Gadakh after his name cropped up in a suicide case of an employee associated with an educational institute headed by the brother of the minister

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the resignation of soil and water conservation minister Shankarrao Gadakh after his name cropped up in a suicide case of an employee associated with an educational institute headed by the brother of the minister. The BJP said that the youth who died was a personal assistant of the minister and he has held the minister and his two relatives responsible in an audio and video message recorded before he died by suicide.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the resignation of soil and water conservation minister Shankarrao Gadakh after his name cropped up in a suicide case of an employee associated with an educational institute headed by the brother of the minister (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Gadakh has refuted the allegations, saying he was not his PA and he had no direct association with the person who died. He said he was ready to face any punishment if found guilty.

“Of the 10 people named by the victim, seven have been booked, except three members from Gadakh family . There is a lot of pressure on police to not take any action against the minister and his family members. For a fair investigation into the suicide case, the minister either should resign or he should be sacked by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray,” said Keshav Upadhye, state BJP spokesperson.

Upadhye said that the minister, his wife and brother have been named in audio and video messages. “He was being tortured and was forced to suicide. The investigation of Gadakhs is important to ensure justice to the deceased youth. Nothing has been done in last six days. If the local police failed to book minister and his family members, we will demand the investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation,” he said.

Gadakh said that he has nothing to with the case and he was ready to face any inquiry. “Why only resignation as minister, I am ready to be hanged if I have done anything wrong. He was not my PA, but was working as computer operator at Yashavantrao Chavan dental college headed by my brother Prashan Gadakh. I have nothing to do with the person deceased. Police has started investigation and have arrested four of the seven accused. There is no question of me putting any pressure on the police. In fact I am requesting the police to take out all call records of the person died and mine to check if we have any association. I do not know why he has named me and my family members in the audio,” he said.

In a video, the victim’s sister said that minister and his family has nothing to do with the case. “After recording the video on October 28, he had told me that he named minister and his family member in the spur of the moment and under the influence of liquor. We have no complaint against the Gadakhs and we are not under any pressure. We want the other seven accused to get punished as they had made my brother’s life miserable. They would threat him at gun point and ask to leave Maharashtra,” she has said.