NEW DELHI: A special CBI court on Tuesday rejected a closure report filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the suicide of a Rajasthan police officer and issued a bailable warrant against Congress legislator Krishna Poonia.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Dr Pawan Kumar Bishnoi told Krishna Poonia to be present in the court on March 4 when the court next takes up the abetment to suicide case relating to the death of station house officer (SHO) Vishnudutt Vishoi, who was found dead his house on May 23.
Krishna Poonia said the CBI has thrice given its closure report. “I will not comment on the court order. I am looking into my rights,” she said.
Investigations into the suicide case was transferred from the Churu district police to the CBI following allegations that pressure from the Poonia, the Sadulpur legislator and an Olympian, drove the Rajgarh police station chief to suicide on May 23, 2020. In his note to the district police chief and his friends, the police officer spoke about excessive mental pressure, interference in his work and dirty politics.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that the officer was under pressure from the Congress MLA and demanded a CBI probe.
But CBI did not find evidence to back up the charge. The federal agency said the the deceased was feeling harassed by the local MLA, but there was no cogent evidence to show any direct or indirect act of incitement or abetment on behalf of the local MLA Krishna Poonia or any other people to instigate the police officer to commit suicide.
The police officer’s family disagreed, insisting that the officer’s letter to the district Superintendent of Police to seek a transfer also mentioned Poonia’s interference. Besides, they said, there was other evidence that supported the allegation that the officer was under undue pressure.
The court agreed.
“It appears from the available evidence that there has been continuous unnecessary, unethical and undue interference in the governance of Rajgarh police station by local MLA. The deceased person was living under stress due to this interference. This is confirmed by the suicide note, the chat of the deceased with his wife, the facts mentioned in the transfer application and audio files. Applying judicial mind on the whole of the evidence, the act of Poonia is found to be prima facie sufficient to abet the deceased to commit suicide,” the court said.
