(If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs)
The Mumbai Police, on Tuesday, 9 March, has registered an FIR on charges of abetment to suicide in connection with the death of Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP Mohan Delkar.
A police official has informed PTI that the FIR was filed under the charge of abetment to suicide and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, after Delkar’s family members visited the Marine Drive police station.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut expressed sadness over Delkar’s demise and said:
“If you read his suicide note, you’ll find that he was harassed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administrator and officer.”
WHAT ELSE DID VINAYAK RAUT SAY?
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said:
“Mohan Delkar, who sat in the Parliament for 35 years, had to die by suicide because he was being harassed by the administration and officers. If you read his suicide note, you'll find that he was harassed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli Administrator and officer.”
Raut also requested Prime Minister Modi to get the local administration, SP and Collector of the UT sacked and tried under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
“MVA government in Maharashtra has deputed ATS to probe the matter but I request the PM through this House that the local Administration, SP and Collector should be sacked and tried under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).”
WHAT HAS MOHAN DELKAR’S SON SAID?
Abhinav, son of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Member of Parliament (MP) Mohan Delkar who was found dead in a Mumbai hotel in February, has alleged that Union Territory’s administrator Praful Kheda Patel “left no stone unturned” to humiliate his father.
Following a meeting on Tuesday, 9 March, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Abhinav Delkar, as per PTI, said, “The administrator left no stone unturned to humiliate my father. Blackmail and extortion tactics were also used,” Abhinav alleged, adding that this “harassment went on for last 16 to 18 months”.
His mother Kalaben, on her part, informed that she had faith in Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government and was sure that they would provide justice to her family.
AND WHAT ABOUT MAHARASHTRA’S HOME MINISTER?
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told the state Assembly, on Tuesday, that the case of alleged suicide by Mohan Delkar will now be investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
WHO IS PRAFUL PATEL?
Patel is currently working as the administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
He was an MLA from Himmat Nagar in Gujarat from 2007 to 2012. He has also been the Minister of State for Home Affairs of Gujarat and is considered very close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
THE CASE
Independent MP from Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delkar was found dead at a hotel in Mumbai on 22 February.
His post-mortem report had confirmed death by suicide.
Police sources had told The Quint that Delkar had left a 15-page suicide note that was not addressed to anybody in particular.
Based on preliminary information, a case of accidental death was filed by the Mumbai Police, a suicide note was recovered later, the police said.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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