Family of Jalandhar Congress leader Anupam Pathak refuses to perform last rites

Tribune News Service

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Jalandhar, September 29

Tension prevailed at Pucca Bagh area as the family members of Congress leader Anupam Pathak (52), who had committed suicide last evening, refused to perform his last rites till the arrest of the accused whose names he had mentioned in the four-page suicide note.

Anupam, who was more popular as Anup, was the husband of Congress councillor from Municipal Corporation Ward No. 51 Radhika Pathak. Known for his jovial behaviour, Anup reportedly took the extreme step after receiving threats from three persons in a land dispute. He had hanged himself with the ceiling fan of his room. His son and wife, who saw him in the condition, immediately took him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The police had registered a case against four persons. Karan Pathak (27), son of the Congress leader, alleged that the police have so far not been showing any seriousness over the matter. “The police were not even registering the case earlier. Now after registering the case, the cops were not making any effort to nab the accused. Due to this, my family members have decided that the last rites will not be performed until the accused are arrested,” added Karan.

Cremation was scheduled to be held at Harnamdasspur ground at 2 pm today. After the family’s protest, the police sought 24-hour time from the family members for making a headway in the case.

In the suicide note, the deceased had named Inderjit Chaudhary, Amrik Sandhu and Ravinder Singh Chaudhary for forcing him to end his life. Due to property dispute, the 52-year-old deceased mentioned in his suicide note that he was being harassed by the accused consistently, who wanted to usurp his property. They also used to give him and his family life threats.

Today, a large number of supporters of Pathak had gathered outside, his house at Pucca Bagh and threatened to hold a dharna if the police did not arrest the accused.

After receiving the information, ACP Balwinder Iqbal Singh Kahlon and SHO Rajesh Kumar reached the spot. The ACP said: “We have registered a case under Section 306 of IPC (Abetment to suicide) at police division number four. Besides the police are tracing the location of the accused to nab them. The body has been kept at the morgue.”