Police seek to reconstruct last 24-hrs of Gajendra's life

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Apr 28 2015 | 6:48 PM IST
Delhi Police are trying to piece together the last 24 hours of farmer Gajendra Singh's life by analysing his mobile phone data and questioning people to find out where he had visited and whom he had spoken to before his alleged suicide at Jantar Mantar here.
One of the relatives of the deceased farmer, whose mobile phone number was found on Singh's call log, has told police that he was asked by him to switch on his TV as "something big was going to happen".
"The relative, who lives in Singh's native village in Dausa of Rajasthan, received a call from him at around 1 P.M. (on April 22). Singh had told him, 'TV kholo, dekho kuch bada hone wala hai' (switch on your TV, something big is going to happen)," said a senior police official associated with the probe.
Police said they are trying to ascertain whether there was a hint in his words as to the events that were soon to unfold during an AAP rally in Delhi.
Some others who came into contact with Singh before he climbed a tree and tied a towel round his neck in the moments preceding the tragedy are also being questioned to determine whether he had showed any suicidal tendency.
Two eyewitnesses who had seen him climb the tree and three AAP workers who had scrambled up to bring Singh down are also being questioned, added police.
Police are also analysing Singh's movements after he left his Dausa home to reach Jantar Mantar. "All this will help us find out whether he had reached there to commit suicide or if it was an accidental death," they added.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today rubbished media stories that a report has been sent by his department to Delhi government terming the incident an accidental death.
"As far as I know, Delhi Police has not sent any report to Delhi government. There have been some letters exchanged between the New Delhi DCP and the area's District Magistrate. As I have told you earlier, there is a confidentiality in this sort of communication and it will not be appropriate to reveal it," Bassi told reporters here today.
He said that information would be shared "whenever there is anything in the course of investigation worth sharing".
Asked whether the organisers of the AAP rally or the Delhi Cabinet members who were present on the stage when the farmer allegedly ended his life would be questioned, Bassi said that the decision lay with the investigating officer in the case.
New Delhi district DM Sanjay Kumar said they "will submit the report of the investigation on Friday".
Singh, a 41-year-old farmer from Rajasthan, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree during an AAP rally against the land ordinance. In a note scribbled by him, Singh said he was thrown out of his home by his father after suffering crop loss.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 28 2015 | 6:48 PM IST

Next Story