Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 15 : The Uttarakhand Police Headquarters on Thursday announced that an intensive investigation has been ordered into the suicide of Sukhwant Singh, a resident of Paiga in Udham Singh Nagar. The victim allegedly shot himself in a hotel room on the night of January 10 at Kathgodam in Haldwani.
Prior to his death, he uploaded a video levelling serious allegations against several property dealers and police officials. The Police Headquarters has directed an in-depth investigation into the case.
A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the chairmanship of Inspector General of Police, STF, Nilesh Anand Bharne. The team includes SP Champawat Ajay Ganpati, Circle Officer Tanakpur Vandana Verma, Inspector Diwan Singh Bisht (Champawat), and Sub-Inspector Manish Khatri (Champawat).
In the interest of a fair and transparent probe, the police have suspended and transferred 12 personnel, including three Sub-Inspectors, one Additional Sub-Inspector, one Head Constable, and seven Constables, to Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts under the Garhwal Range, with immediate effect.
Authorities have also instructed a detailed examination of the video circulated on social media and the complaint sent by the deceased via email, which contains allegations against local individuals and personnel of the Udham Singh Nagar Police. Based on verified facts, appropriate legal action will be taken in accordance with the law, the Police Headquarters stated.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured justice to the family of late Sukhwant Singh, a farmer from Kashipur, adding that "no negligence will be tolerated at any level".
Dhami reaffirmed the state government's commitment to a fair and thorough probe into the matter. "They (the family) will receive justice in the case of his death, and no negligence will be tolerated at any level during the investigation. The government stands with the affected family with full sensitivity, and no one responsible for this tragic incident will be spared," Dhami said, according to the release.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister spoke over the phone with the deceased's brother, Parvinder Singh, expressing his heartfelt condolences and offering comfort to the family. In the presence of Sukhwant Singh's father and other family members, the Chief Minister said, "While it is not possible to compensate for such a tragic loss, the government is fully committed to ensuring the strictest legal punishment for those found guilty."
Chief Minister, upon receiving information about the incident, immediately directed senior officials to take action and ordered the Kumaon Commissioner to conduct a magisterial inquiry. He also assured the family that justice would be delivered at all costs.
"Whenever any such incident occurs in the state, the government acts promptly and with full commitment to ensure justice for the victims," the Chief Minister said, adding that, "he will meet the affected family in person soon."
Earlier, Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat expressed his concerns over the suicide of Sukhwant Singh and urged the government to take action on the matter. Singh alleged harassment and extortion by Udham Singh Nagar police in a Facebook Live video before his death, citing a Rs 4 crore land fraud case and pressure from police and property dealers.
Addressing this, Rawat, in an exclusive conversation with ANI, raised questions over law and order in the state, saying, "It is a shameful and eye-opening incident. From what Sukhwant said in the video, it seems to be a matter of declining effective security efforts in the state. The way the police provided protection to the perpetrators instead of the victim is concerning."
Rawat further urged the state government to provide justice to Singh. "The government should help him and his family and provide justice to the farmer. A lawful action must also be taken against the perpetrators," he stated.