The mysterious murder of UP health department clerk Mahendra Sharma took a dramatic turn on Thursday after police claimed they had recovered a suicide note from his room a day before.
“We have recovered a suicide note from the inner seams of a jacket found in Sharma's room (at Pasgawan primary health centre (PHC) in Lakhimpur Kheri, where his dead body was found on February 15),” said Superintendent of Police Amit Chandra.The police claim contradicts the post-mortem report that had revealed Sharma’s death was due to asphyxiation as a result of smothering. Six other injuries had also been detected on the body.
The findings led to suspicion that Sharma, like four other people related to the 10,000-crore National Rural Health Mission scam, had been murdered.
Talking to journalists in Lucknow, Chandra said the police were verifying the authenticity of the note.
In the note, Sharma accused chief medical officer (CMO) JP Bhargava, additional CMO Balbir Singh, Pasgawan PHC in-charge SC Gupta and clerk Rajesh Hans of harassing and tormenting him to seek monetary gains for his transfer, said Chandra. Sharma’s wife Mithilesh lodged an FIR against six health officials, including Bhargava, Singh, Gupta and Hans.
{{/usCountry}}In the note, Sharma accused chief medical officer (CMO) JP Bhargava, additional CMO Balbir Singh, Pasgawan PHC in-charge SC Gupta and clerk Rajesh Hans of harassing and tormenting him to seek monetary gains for his transfer, said Chandra. Sharma’s wife Mithilesh lodged an FIR against six health officials, including Bhargava, Singh, Gupta and Hans.
{{/usCountry}}She and her sons had alleged Sharma was murdered as he refused to follow the corrupt practices in the NRHM programme.
Sharma, 52, an accounts clerk at the Pasgawan PHC, was found dead on the premises of his official quarters eight days after he was reported missing on February 7.
The family has also sought a CBI probe into the killing.