Six booked for abetting tax officer's suicide

The Times of India: Ahmedabad: Monday, July 23, 2012.

Six persons have been accused of driving another sales tax officer to suicide. The accused include the in-charge regional transport officer of Rajkot and four sales tax officers.

The case pertains to Harshad Pandya, 49, who, allegedly oppressed by the accused, hanged himself to death at his home in Shastrinagar on June 24. A complaint of abetment to suicide was lodged with Naranpura police on Sunday.

At the time of suicide, Pandya's wife Neelam and son were not at home. Neelam told police that Pandya was very tense for the last four months. However, she could not tell the reason.

When police searched Pandya's house they recovered a suicide note. The note was addressed to joint commissioner of police Ajay Tomar. Pandya named his six tormentors and accused them of mental harassment and threats to kill him. Pandya also alleged that they had forced him to sign a letter detailing some corrupt practices in his office. The group continued to hound him even after he paid them. Pandya stated this as the reason for his suicide.

The six who were named by Pandya are - in-charge RTO of Rajkot D R Patel, a resident of Sola; fake journalist Anil Patel, who stays in Nava Vadaj; and four sales tax officers - Navin Mehta, Harshad Patel, Mahindra Prajapati, and Raju Sandya.

"We first sent the letter for forensic examination. A couple of days back we got the report confirming that it was indeed Pandya's suicide note. After this the six were booked for abetment to suicide," said a Naranpura police official.

The fake journalist used to be supplied with information by the five others on corrupt practices in various government offices. Anil Patel used to file an RTI application on the basis of this tip-off and then mount pressure on the targeted officer. Later, the other five gang members used to get involved in the deal posing as mediators and well-wishers of the victim.

Finally, the five used to get the victim to sign a written confession with the promise that they shall mediate on the matter with Patel. Then this letter was used to force the victim to pay up hefty sums. to keep the matter under wraps. Pandya, who used to earlier work at RTO Ahmedabad, too was blackmailed in this manner. "Though he paid the blackmailers once, the six continued to blackmail him," said a cop. Sales tax office sources said that in the past too, some written complaints were made against the six and their blackmailing tactics.