MUMBAI: Home minister Anil Deshmukh announced an SIT probe into the suicide of 7-time MP
Mohan Delkar
in a Mumbai hotel after the opposition turned up the heat demanding arrest of API Sachin Waze. Deshmukh said Delkar had named Dadra and Nagar Haveli administrator Praful Khoda Patel in his suicide note. Patel was with BJP and had earlier served as minister of state for home in Gujarat when PM Modi was CM.
“Delkar said he was facing harassment and insults from Patel, and he had threatened to destroy his image, which is why he was committing suicide,” said Deshmukh. He also said Delkar’s wife Kalaben and son Abhinav had written to him and made the same allegations.
Soon after the SIT probe was announced, Delkar’s family including wife, son and daughter met CM Uddhav Thackeray, Dy CM Ajit Pawar and Deshmukh. “They have reposed faith in the police and have asked for police protection because they face threats,” said Deshmukh. Deshmukh also said that in his suicide note, Delkar mentioned that though he was being harassed in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, he had chosen to commit suicide in Mumbai as he had faith in the MVA government. “He was tortured there but he chose to commit suicide here. It shows how much faith he had in Maharashtra and its government,” said Deshmukh. Deshmukh also said an IAS officer Rajkumar Srivastava from MP had come to Nagpur and committed suicide. “This shows people are choosing to come to Maharashtra to commit suicide because they have confidence in the police and government,” Deshmukh said.
Fadnavis said an administrator does not belong to a party but is a neutral role. Taking a dig at tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, he added, “Will Mumbai now go from being tourism capital to suicide capital?”
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