Jharkhand: 3 Policemen Suspended After Man Dies by Suicide Blaming Police 'Harassment'

Three policemen, including an officer in charge of a police station, were suspended after a man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself due to alleged police harassment in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, officials said on Tuesday.

The three police personnel were suspended after the victim, identified as Pradhan Yadav (44), a resident of DT Khatal area within Dhurwa police station limits, alleged harassment by the officials in his five-page suicide note, they said.

According to police, the victim hanged himself on Monday after he had reportedly complained on June 5 at the police station about being thrashed by his neighbours over some dispute. After this, the officials, including the investigating officer (IO) Lal Mohan Pandey and his associate Jitendra Tudu were mounting pressure on him to manage the case instead of taking action against his neighbour Jintendra Yadav and others.

"The officer in charge of Dhurwa police station, Arun Kumar Mahatha, Lal Mohan Pandey and Jitendra Tudu have been suspended. I have constituted an investigation team, led by the Hatia DSP, to probe the matter thoroughly and further action will be taken following the submission of the investigation report," Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan said.

"In the suicide note, the victim stated that the officials, instead of taking action against the accused on the basis of his complaint at the police station, had lodged an FIR against him and his family. He alleged that the officials had mentally tortured him," Hatia DSP Neeraj Kumar told PTI.

He further said that an FIR was registered on Monday against 13 named accused based on the statement of the victim's wife, Savita Devi. So far, no one has been arrested in this case. All the accused are on the run, but they will soon be nabbed.

Jitendra Yadav is the main accused in this case, the DSP said.