Dalit man commits suicide in Haryana's Hisar district, 2 cops suspended

Hisar: Pressure is building on the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana after a Dalit man allegedly committed suicide in Hisar district. The victim reportedly blamed two police officers for his death in his suicide note.

It comes close on the heels of two other incidents in Haryana where a 15-year-old Dalit boy, accused of stealing a pigeon, died allegedly in police custody in Gohana and two children of a Dalit family were burnt alive allegedly by members of an upper caste community in Faridabad's Sunepad village.

SP (Hisar) Satender Singh put under suspension Jagbir Singh, SHO of Sadar Police Station (Hansi), and Investigation Officer Rajbir Singh in connection with the suicide of Badan Singh, police said on Sunday.

A five member special investigation team has been formed to probe into the case. DSP (Hansi) Jaspal Singh said, "Who ever was named on the suicide note has been suspended by the government. An SIT has been set up in to look into the matter."

Badan Singh's cousin Gurbachan's body was found hanging from a tree near Chainat village on October 8. Police registered a case of suicide though his family suspected foul play.

Gurbachan's family members had named three persons in a complaint filed with the police and demanded their immediate arrest.

Gurbachan's uncle Badan Singh, who the family members claim was the main witness in the suicide case, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on Saturday. The family claimed that he was being pressured by the three accused to change his statement.

Over 200 villagers on Saturday night gathered at Civil Hospital, Hansi and demanded suspension of three police officers including ASP Jashandeep Randhawa, alleging that they took no action in the Gurbachan suicide case. SP Fatehabad Sangeeta Kalia rushed to Hansi to control the situation.

Police have arrested three persons -- Ramesh, Rajbir and Raj Kumar -- of the same village in this case. They were on Sunday produced before a court, which remanded them to two-day police custody, said DSP (Hansi) Jaspal Singh.