 "Shankar Barua")
Former Assam director general of police Shankar Barua, whose premises were searched by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam last month, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at his residence on Wednesday.
Guwahati Senior Superintendent of Police A P Tiwari said Barua was rushed to a nursing home around noon and declared dead there. “Barua is no more. Investigation is on. We cannot say anything now. Only after the investigation is over we can talk about the details,” Tiwari said.
Family sources said Barua had slipped into depression after his name was linked to the Saradha scam.
The body of Barua, who is said to have shot himself in the head, has been sent for post mortem.
Barua was undergoing treatment in a local hospital after he had complained of chest pain last week. He was discharged this morning. “He came home and within half an hour he went to the terrace and shot himself with a pistol. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital by family members,” they said.
Non-stop coverage by television channels relating to him had upset the former DGP, the family said.
A CBI spokesperson in Delhi said that the former director general of Assam police was neither examined by CBI nor was he summoned.
Barua’s name got linked with the scam after an employee of Saradha’s media house here alleged last year that he had provided ‘protection’ to them in Assam, which was arranged by Assamese singer and filmmaker Sadananda Gogoi on behalf of the group.
Gogoi was taken to Kolkata by CBI for further questioning and was subsequently arrested on September 12.
CBI had conducted searches in 12 premises on August 28 in connection with the multi-crore rupees ponzi scheme scam including residences of two former Assam ministers.
Guwahati SSP Tiwari told PTI that the former DGP’s licenced .32 revolver has been recovered from the site with one empty cartridge and five live rounds. “We have also collected fingerprints from the weapon and other articles. Doctors will formally give their report tomorrow (Thursday),” he said. The post-mortem of the body is done.
Meanwhile, terming the demise of Barua as “unfortunate”, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, “He was an upright and efficient police officer who discharged his duties conscientiously and assiduously.”
A 1974-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IPS officer, 63-year-old Barua was the DGP of Assam between 2009 and 2011. He is survived by his wife, two sons and 95-year-old mother.
After the post-mortem, his body was taken to the Kahilipara campus of Assam Police where senior administrative and police officials paid tributes. On behalf of the chief minister, Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla placed a floral wreath on the body of the deceased.
In New Delhi, CBI spokesperson rubbished some media reports about the agency putting pressure on Barua. “This is a sad and unfortunate incident and CBI expresses its condolences,” the spokesperson said.
