AAP worker’s suicide case: For 6 months, no one listened to her

The investigation in the suicide of AAP worker has so far revealed that Ramesh Bhardwaj had got the victim’s daughter expelled from school after she refused to ‘compromise’ with him.

For six months, she shuttled between the offices of various AAP functionaries and the police to seek help. Defeated by the system, she consumed poison and ended her life, on July 18.

BJP workers protest in front of CM Arvind Kejriwal’s house to demand justice for a AAP worker, who killed herself after being molested by a fellow party worker.(Raj K Raj/ HT file photo)

The investigation in the suicide of AAP worker has so far revealed that Ramesh Bhardwaj had got the victim’s daughter expelled from school after she refused to ‘compromise’ with him. Bhardwaj was MLA Sharad Chauhan’s nominee in the school management committee, police said. “Bhardwaj also hired goons to terrorize her. Wherever she went, masked men followed her. Some threw stones at her parlour. Sometimes they even sent letter threatening to kill her daughter,” a senior police officer said.

When the woman tried approaching the MLA, she realised that he was close to Bhardwaj. She then approached AAP’s Delhi convener Dilip Pandey. “When she went to Pandey’s house, she found Bhardwaj and Chauhan sitting there with him. Pandey reportedly told the woman to settle the case to protect the party’s image. Pandey asked Bhardwaj to apologize to her and asked the woman to withdraw the case. She said that though Bhardwaj apologized before Pandey, he got vindictive later,” a police officer said. He added that soon after, the woman started getting threat calls.

This is when the police came into the picture. When the woman approached the police on June 2, the investigating officer, sub-inspector Mukhtiar Singh, connived with Bhardwaj and the others to make the case weak. “When the MLA found out that the woman’s case was being handled by Singh, he roped in Virender Kala, a notorious criminal and also Singh’s friend to influence the probe. Singh tutored Bhardwaj and others on how to make the case weak and to frame the woman in a fake case of extortion,” he added.

MLA Chauhan’s PA, Amit, too started spreading lies about the woman in order to defame her. He circulated a fake recording stating that the woman was demanding `15 lakh to withdraw a complaint. “Amit not only labeled the woman as an extortionist but also questioned her character,” an officer said.

The court has sent all the men, except Bhardwaj, to 14-day judicial custody. Bhardwaj is on five day police remand. The police may also call AAP’s Delhi convener Dilip Pandey for questioning.