Bureaucrat’s letter blames CBI officers for suicide

New Delhi, September 28

A tainted top government official who killed himself on Tuesday blamed CBI officers investigating corruption charges against him for the suicide in a letter he left behind.

Suicide notes signed by former Corporate Affairs Director General BK Bansal and his son Yogesh — who also killed himself with his father — accused a CBI DIG, two women officers and a "fat" Havaldar of the agency for having tortured Bansal's wife and daughter, both of who committed suicide in July.

A seven-page letter written by Bansal and a two-page letter by his son wrote both bear the date September 26, 2016 — the day before their bodies were found in their flat in the national capital. 

The letters claimed that Bansal’s wife and daughter had shared details of how they were tortured with friends before killing themselves.

He claimed the suspected CBI DIG claimed he was close to a politician of the ruling party and dared Bansal to do what he could.

Bansal claimed the top cop had abused his wife over the phone and threatened to torture Bansal — who was in CBI’s custody then — while the women officers had slapped her.

He said: "Even if I was at fault in the case, why were my wife and daughter pushed to suicide by CBI officials?   This cannot be termed as suicide. It is a murder of two ladies”, adding that the DIG and the "fat" Havaldar should be made to under go a polygraph test.

Bansal also claimed that the DIG had threatened him that his wife and daughter “will be subjected to such a torture that they will ask for death but won't get it", before they had committed suicide.

Yogesh named one more officer in his letter and claimed the five had tortured him, his mother and his sister, "unofficially and off the record”, which drove them, and him, to suicide.

The CBI has promised an internal inquiry into the allegations.

CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said the agency received the letters from the Delhi Police and that the agency was investigating the allegations.

"We have examined the matter and decided to probe the allegations. CBI is fully committed to conduct investigation in a fair and professional manner without harassment to any one and strictly within the parameters of law.

"If any violation is established during the probe, strict action will be taken against the CBI officials concerned. The Competent Court will be informed," he said. 

Bansal and his son were found hanging in his flat on Setptember 27, 2016.

CBI arrested Bansal, an additional secretary-rank officer in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, on July 16 on charges of accepting bribe from a prominent pharmaceutical company.

CBI claimed it found money in raids it conducted in connection with the case. — PTI