‘Why would a defence personnel go to Palghar to kill himself?’ Asks father

Father of the Indian Navy sailor found with burns doubts police probe; cops rule out abduction, claim he was seen buying loose diesel in Talasari

The father of Indian Navy sailor Suraj Dubey, who succumbed to 90 per cent burn injuries allegedly sustained in the Palghar jungle, is unhappy with the investigation. The Palghar police had sent the grabs of CCTV footage they collected of Dubey to his father Mithilesh, who told mid-day that it is not his son who is in the grabs from Vellore.

“The Palghar police had sent me the grabs of CCTV footage which they collected outside Chennai airport and at a hotel in Vellore. The man carrying red luggage outside Chennai airport is my son but the grab which they sent me of the Vellore hotel does not show him. In the frame, the man is seen wearing a cap which my son never wore,” Mithilesh told mid-day.

Earlier, Superintendent of Police, Palghar District Dattatrey Shinde told mid-day that Dubey was seen roaming freely outside Chennai airport carrying the red bag. The investigators had further added that Dubey was seen in a hotel in Vellore.

The Palghar police are yet to connect the dots as to how Dubey, who reached Chennai airport on January 30, was found severely burnt in Gholwad jungle on February 5.

‘Seen buying loose diesel’

Dubey had told police in his statement that he was kidnapped by people outside Chennai airport and later brought to Palghar after being kept hostage for a few days in Chennai. But the cops have ruled out the abduction theory and said that the sailor was seen in CCTV footage buying loose diesel from a petrol pump in Talasari.

“We are yet to establish how Dubey, who was seen roaming freely outside Chennai airport, reached Palghar district. But on February 5, he was caught in CCTV footage at a petrol pump in Talasari. He is seen buying loose diesel,” said SP Shinde on Wednesday.

Shinde further hinted that the petrol pump may be brought to book for selling 5-litre loose diesel worth R300 in two plastic bottles. “Dubey is seen in the CCTV footage at 5.50 am but in his statement he told us that he was brought to the jungle by his kidnappers at 9 am. At the petrol pump, he was not accompanied by anyone. So it is clear that he was not kidnapped and his statement given to us turned out to be incorrect,” Shinde added.

‘Cops didn’t give footage’

However, Mithilesh said, “If the police believe that my son was not kidnapped in Chennai and say that he purchased diesel from a petrol pump, do they mean to say that he set himself ablaze? I asked the police for the CCTV footage from the petrol pump, but they haven't given it to me."

“If my son had to commit suicide, he could have ended his life in his hometown, or in Chennai, or enroute Chennai. Why would a defence personnel go all the way to Palghar to commit suicide? I have spoken to the SP and other officials to request them to investigate the case thoroughly,” Mithilesh added.

However Shinde told mid-day that they have enough proof to establish that Dubey was not kidnapped. “The CCTV grabs are of Dubey. Our investigation is underway to establish how Dubey reached Palghar from Chennai.”

05 February
When Suraj Dubey was found burnt in the jungle

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