T20 WC hero DSP Joginder Sharma among 6 booked for abetment to suicide in Hisar

Hisar, January 4

The police have booked six persons, including cricketer-turned-DSP Joginder Sharma, who helped India win the first T20 World Cup in 2007 against Pakistan, on the charges of abetment to suicide and the SC/ST Act after a 27-year-old youth died by suicide at Dabra village of the district.

Fresh investigation begins

• The victim, Pawan, hanged himself at his house on the night of January 1
• His mother Sunita stated in a complaint that he had been upset for the past few days due to pressure from some persons of the village to vacate the house
• The victim, who used to work as a painter, had told her a day before the suicide that he was unable to bear the pressure
• Fresh investigation had now been started in the matter and action would be taken on the basis of the preliminary inquiry

The youth Pawan hanged himself at his house on the night of January 1. His mother Sunita stated in a complaint that he had been upset for the past some days due to pressure from some persons of the village to vacate the house.

The victim, who used to work as a painter, had told her a day before the suicide that he was unable to bear the pressure. She alleged that the accused Ajayveer and his son Arjun had met her son a week ago and had asked him to tell his mother to vacate the house. She said they were engaged in a court case with Ajayveer, Ishwar Jhanjhria, Prem Khati, Rajender Sihag and Joginder Sharma over the ownership of the house in which they were residing.

Manju, a social activist, said the family of Rameshwar, Pawan’s father, had been residing in the house since 1987, but a dispute arose in 2020 when Ajayveer and others started pressuring them to vacate the house, claiming ownership of the house. She alleged that the DSP had visited the house and threatened the family.

She claimed that due to pressure by the accused, her daughter too had attempted suicide in 2020.

They had lodged a complaint with the police twice against the accused. Though the police had registered cases, they later cancelled the FIRs, she claimed.

The family has demanded that the cancelled FIRs — FIR No. 563 of October 6, 2020, and FIR No. 647 of October 12, 2021 — be opened for reinvestigation. They also want a complaint, lodged on March 15 last year as Daily Dairy Register No. 36, to be investigated.

In addition, they have sought a gun licence, a government job to one member of the family, an aid of Rs 50 lakh, a permanent house, help for the education of the children and cremation of the victim.

Investigation officer Ajmer Singh informed that Joginder Sharma was assigned the probe when a case was registered against the accused earlier, and he cancelled the FIR on the basis of the inquiry.

Fresh investigation had now been started in the matter and action would be taken on the basis of the preliminary inquiry, he said.

Meanwhile, the family members, accompanied by some activists and local BSP workers, refused to cremate the body until the accused were arrested. ASP Rakesh Kumar Mohan met them at the Civil Hospital and informed them that sections had been added under the SC/ST Act in the case, but they refused to budge from their stance.