Uttarakhand Police Launches Special Probe into Farmer's Death
Uttarakhand Police took decisive action on Thursday. They formed a five-member special investigation team. This SIT will investigate the alleged suicide of a 40-year-old farmer from Kashipur.
Immediate Transfers and Team Composition
The state police also transferred twelve officers immediately. These officers moved from Udham Singh Nagar district to Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts. The transfers will remain in effect until the probe concludes.
Inspector General Nilesh Anand Bharne leads the SIT. He heads the Special Task Force. Four other officers join him on the team.
- Champawat superintendent of police Ajay Ganpati
- Tanakpur circle officer Vandana Verma
- Champawat inspector Diwan Singh Bisht
- Sub-inspector Manish Khatri
State police issued an official statement detailing these appointments.
SIT's Mandate and Evidence Review
The special investigation team has a clear mandate. They will thoroughly examine a video made by the victim before his death. The SIT will also review an email related to the case.
IG Bharne may include additional officers as needed. The team aims to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The victim, Sukhwant Singh, allegedly shot himself at a hotel in Kathgodam. This tragic event occurred on Sunday. Before taking his own life, Singh went live on Facebook.
During the live session, he purportedly read from a nine-page suicide note. The note accused police of mental harassment and inaction. Following this incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a magisterial inquiry.
Kumaon commissioner Deepak Rawat will conduct this inquiry.
Background of the Land Deal Dispute
The victim's brother, Parvinder Singh, filed an FIR at ITI police station. He resides in Dakshini Paiga village. According to his complaint, he and Sukhwant Singh purchased approximately 6.84 acres of land.
They paid Rs 34 lakh per acre to property dealers. The dealers included Amarjeet Singh, Ashish Chauhan alias Patwari, and Kulvinder Singh. Original landowners Balwant Singh alias Kala and Kulwant Singh of Baksaura Kunda assured the transaction.
They directed the brothers to complete the deal through these property dealers.
Allegations of Fraud and Harassment
Parvinder Singh made serious allegations. He stated they paid around Rs 1 crore through bank transfers. They also paid Rs 2.8 crore in cash. The total payment amounted to Rs 3.8 crore.
Despite this substantial payment, the accused neither executed the land registry nor returned the money. Repeated attempts to register the sale deed failed completely.
The brothers faced sustained mental and physical harassment. Distressed and allegedly cheated, Sukhwant Singh died by suicide on the night of January 10. His brother shared these heartbreaking details with authorities.
