Congress for CBI probe into officer’s link to suicide

SHIMLA - The Congress party Tuesday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged involvement of a senior Himachal Pradesh police officer in the suicide of an unmarried woman here.

Raising the issue in the state assembly, Congress leader Vidya Stokes said: “Since a senior police official and his son, who is a sub-judge in the state, are involved in the case, the matter should be investigated by the CBI as a fair probe by the state police is not possible.

“Moreover, the accused reached the residence of the victim to destroy the evidence,” she said.

Inspector General (Law and Order) Pradeep Kumar Sarpal, his wife and his son Sidharth were booked under Sections 306 and 201 (abetment to suicide and causing destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Ritu, 28, who was allegedly in love with Sidharth, committed suicide here Sunday by hanging herself from a ceiling fan. At that time, she was alone in the house, police said.

The victim’s relatives alleged that she took the extreme step after the Sarpals refused to marry their son with Ritu. Sidharth and Ritu were known to each other for 15 years, said police.

Superintendent of Police R.M. Sharma said the victim’s father alleged that Sarpal, his son and some policemen entered his house after the suicide and tried to tamper with the evidence.

On Monday, Sharma wrote to Director General of Police G.S. Gill to get the case investigated by the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

“I have written to Gill to transfer the case to the CID as I am not competent to carry on with the investigation as a senior police officer is involved in the case,” Sharma said.

Sarpal, posted in the police headquarters here, said: “My son and the victim were friends for a long time. The mother of the woman approached us with a marriage proposal. We considered it and consulted astrologers but the horoscopes didn’t match. We decided the marriage was not possible.”