BJP MLA Yogi dies mysteriously

Less than two weeks before the assembly polls in Delhi, three- time BJP legislator from Rajinder Nagar, Puran Chand Yogi, committed suicide at his Inderpuri residence on Sunday, police officials said.

Less than two weeks before the assembly polls in Delhi, three- time BJP legislator from Rajinder Nagar, Puran Chand Yogi, committed suicide at his Inderpuri residence on Sunday, police officials said.

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Family members of the 73-year-old and senior BJP leaders, however, denied that he had committed suicide.

Yogi was given a party ticket to contest from the Rajinder Nagar seat for the fourth time and was actively involved in campaigning for the November 29 polls. Polling to the seat will now be countermanded.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said, “Initial investigations suggest that it is a case of suicide. We are waiting for the post mortem report.”

Police said Yogi was apparently depressed and apprehensive about his poll prospects this time.

Yogi’s family, however, said he was a heart patient and died of cardiac arrest. “My father was confident of winning a fourth time. He was not depressed or anything,” said his son Rajeev.

A senior police officer said, “He woke up around 5 a.m. and asked for the keys to the first-floor room from his wife.” Yogi used the room as office. “Around 7.15 am, his wife went upstairs after he did not respond to her calls for breakfast. She found him hanging from the ceiling fan.”

BJP state chief Harsh Vardhan, however, said, “Stress of campaigning could have taken its toll. He had undergone angioplasty some time back. It’s wrong to say that he killed himself.”

BJP’s CM candidate V.K. Malhotra said: “He was confident of winning. There was no reason for him to commit suicide.”