Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], January 14 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured justice to the family of late Sukhwant Singh, a farmer from Kashipur, who allegedly shot himself in a Haldwani hotel room, 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 on Monday, Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat expressed his concerns over the suicide of Sukhwant Singh, and urged for 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.