Jalandhar: Ex-CPS and BJP leader KD Bhandari booked for abetment to suicide

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 30

The police have booked former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) and BJP leader KD Bhandari in an abetment to suicide case. Congress councillor Sushil Vicky Kalia, who died after consuming a poisonous substance on Saturday, had named Bhandari and several others in a suicide note for causing mental harassment to him.

Besides Bhandari, other persons, who were also named by the deceased in his note, have been booked under Section 306 of the IPC in FIR No. 14 lodged at the Division No. 1 police station.

Had filed FIR over fund misuse

• Kalia was facing an FIR lodged by Bhandari in August last over “misuse” of funds under the welfare scheme, Punjab Nirman.
• It was claimed that the funds were to be used for setting up community halls and other projects, which never came up.

In his note, Kalia had mentioned he was taking the extreme step due to mental harassment caused by Bhandari. The councillor’s family had refused to cremate the body until an FIR was lodged.

Bhandari has rubbished all charges against him. “Kalia’s demise was unfortunate. I did not meet him or talk to him even once in the past six months, then how can I be blamed for mental torture? I was only a complainant against him since he, his son and family members had misused government funds to the tune of Rs 50 lakh,” he claimed.

No arrests yet

We will not make any arrest till we are clear about the veracity of the suicide note. —Jagmohan Singh, DCP

Kalia was facing an FIR lodged by Bhandari at the Division No. 8 police station in August last over “misuse” of grants sanctioned to welfare societies under the Punjab Nirman Scheme. It was claimed that the funds were to be used for setting up community halls and other projects, which never came up.

Kalia’s son Anshuman had got embroiled in the case and the family could not secure bail for him even in the Supreme Court. The deceased was a close aide of sitting Congress MLA Bawa Henry.

In the suicide note, Kalia blamed certain other persons for coercing him to pay Rs 20 lakh for settling the case.

DCP Jagmohan Singh said, “We will not make any arrest till we are clear about the veracity of the suicide note and the role of those named in it.”

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