Times of India: Greater Noida: Sunday, 04 May 2014.
The family of
RTI activist Chandra Mohan Sharma on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into his
death, fearing the facts of the case could be manipulated by the police.
The family's
wariness partially stems from the lack of arrests or detentions made by the
police despite a case of murder being lodged against five people named in the
complaint. The family suspects the role of the land mafia in Sharma's death as
the activist had blown the lid off corrupt land deals across Gautam Budh Nagar.
It received support from the AAP, of which Sharma was a member, with the party
on Saturday releasing a statement terming his death a "murder."
Sharma's
charred body was found in his car, which too was completely burnt, near his
house in Greater Noida on Thursday night. Police initially said it was an
accidental death but lodged an FIR later after the family's complaint.
"In a
case of murder, it is mandatory to establish the role of the people named in
the complaint submitted by the victim's family. We are accountable and have to
have hardcore evidence before we make arrests," said Anurag Singh, DSP,
Greater Noida.
According to
the police, Sharma's autopsy report said he died due to asphyxiation and there
were no external injuries on his body. "The victim died because of
suffocation from the smoke which filled the car. We are also conducting a
forensic examination to verify the cause of death," said Brijesh Kumar,
SP, Greater Noida.
He added,
"We had summoned an engineer from Chevrolet to examine the burnt car (an
Aveo) and he said the fire seems to have started at the dashboard. He has asked
us to send the car to the factory on Monday for a detailed examination to
determine the cause of the fire." Kumar also said Sharma's call records
were being analyzed for clues.
AAP, however,
sought the state government's intervention and demanded that it seek an
immediate report from the district administration about the facts of the case.
Several AAP members visited Sharma's family home in Gurgaon, where his father
lives, on Saturday. Senior party members also spoke to Gautam Budh Nagar police
officials, demanding a fair probe.
"(AAP
leader) Manish Sisodia has spoken to police, asking them to conduct a detailed
investigation and take those responsible for Sharma's death into custody,"
said Raghav Chadha, the party spokesperson. "We have also asked the police
why no action had been taken after Sharma complained on April 29 about threats
to his life from the land mafia," he added.
Chadha was
convinced about foul play being involved. "This is a clear case of murder
and the post-mortem report seems dubious. If Sharma's body was so badly burnt,
how was it determined that he died because of inhaling smoke?" he asked.
.JPG)
.JPG)
