25 November,2017 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Officers say they have sufficient evidence from spot that confirms their suspicions; the deceased was neither in favour of, nor against Padmavati; he wasn't associated with any of the protesters, they add
The Jaipur police are almost convinced that the body found hanging at the famous Nahargarh Fort is not the result of a homicidal act to protest against the yet-to-be-released movie Padmavati, but is a suicide.
A message engraved on a rock near the spot reads, "Padmavati ka virodh karne walo, hum kile par sirf putle nahi latkate... Hum mein hai dum (Padmavati protesters should know we don't only hang effigies...we are strong). Pic/PTI
"We are almost convinced after visiting the crime scene and as per our discussion with the forensic experts, that it is a case of suicide and not homicide. We have gathered sufficient evidence from the spot that indicates suicide. His family members have ruled out foul play," said Prafulla Kumar, additional commissioner of police (crime-1), speaking to mid-day from Jaipur.
According to the senior police officer, the deceased Chetan Kumar Saini, 36, was married and stayed with his wife and two children at Shastri Nagar in Jaipur. Saini made imitation jewellery and operated from his house. According to the police officer, Saini left his house on Thursday around 3.30 pm. Around 5.30 pm, he answered a phone call from his wife. When asked if a suicide note was found on him, Kumar replied in the negative, stating that apart from a few hundred rupees, an old roadways ticket and a mobile phone, nothing else was found.
Recreated scene
A team of forensic analysts from the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory, Jaipur, carried out an analysis of the spot and the stones on which messages were scribbled - 'Hum sirf putle nahi jalate...' and 'Padmavati ke virodh mein...', in Hindi using charcoal.
Interestingly, Kumar added, "The forensic team has found traces of charcoal on the fingers of the deceased. We have asked them to take a sample, which will be analysed with his handwriting to ascertain if he had scribbled the lines on the stones." The police along with the forensic experts recreated the scene, and found that it was indeed a case of suicide, as the deceased had used a nylon rope, which was tied to one end of the concrete arch on the fort and the other was put around his neck before he leapt to his death.
And in order to corroborate this claim, Kumar said, "We have found the deceased had sustained multiple abrasions around his body, which is a result of the body hitting the rough structure. Other than the ligature and abrasions, no other injuries were visible." "Our inquiries with the family have revealed that the deceased was neither in favour of, nor against the controversial movie Padmavati; he wasn't associated with any of the protesters either," he said.
'Isolated incident'
"We are yet to ascertain the exact reason for Saini taking the extreme step. We will be questioning his family members soon, but we are clear that this incident is an isolated case, with no link whatsoever to the movie Padmavati," added Kumar. The remains of Saini were taken to Sawai Man Singh Medical college in Jaipur, where an autopsy was done under the guidance of Dr D K Sharma, associate professor, department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.
Dr R K Punia, professor and head of the department at the hospital said, "The doctor concerned has submitted his findings in the preliminary cause of death report, which has been given to the police." The Bramhapuri police have registered a case of accidental death under Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code.
