Rajasthan minister booked for 'abetting' suicide

A first information report (FIR) has been lodged against Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Mahesh Joshi and others for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 38-year-old man in Jaipur, police said on Tuesday.

Joshi, Congress MLA from Hawa Mahal, however, rejected the allegations and called for a fair probe into the case.

Ramprasad hanged himself on Monday in a godown in the Subhash Chowk area over an alleged land dispute, according to police.

His family members staged a dharna outside the godown and refused to let the police take custody of the body, which is still inside.

In a video recorded before ending his life, Ramprasad alleged that he was forced to take the extreme step as Joshi, Devendra Sharma, Lalit Sharma, Hotel Royal Sheraton's owner Munj Tank, Dev Awasthi and Lalchand Devnani caused a lot of trouble for his family.

Station House Officer (SHO), Subhash Chowk, Ram Phool Meena said the first information report (FIR) was registered on Monday night based on a complaint lodged by Ramprasad's brother.

The case will be probed by the CID-CB as an MLA has been named in it, he said.

Speaking to reporters, Joshi, the local MLA, denied the allegations levelled against him.

He said Ramprasad's family members had come to meet him on April 13 but he did not misbehave with them.

He said this can be ascertained through the footage of his CCTV cameras, which he will provide to the police.

"I don't want to interfere in the police investigation. I want the police to conduct a fair investigation. No written complaint was given to me by the family of the deceased," the minister said.

Strictest action should be taken against those who are found guilty, he added.

Ramprasad's family members and locals staged a dharna outside the godown where he committed suicide.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who visited the spot, told reporters that Ramprasad went to Joshi after his family did not get help from anywhere.

According to the family members, Meena said, the minister insulted and pushed them.

"Due to the minister's torture, he became depressed and embraced death," the BJP MP charged.

"We gave a memorandum to the police commissioner when he came here and asked him to convey this matter to the government.

"Through a memorandum, we demanded that the accused involved in the case should be arrested, the victim's family should be given a package of assistance and the family should be given a government job," Meena added.

Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Heritage, Deputy Commissioner (Hawa Mahal-Amer zone), Dilip Kumar Sharma said three notices were issued by the civic body to stop the construction of an illegal hotel next to Ramprasad's residence.

The construction work on the hotel was stopped after the notice was sent in January and the illegal construction is being demolished, he said.