FIR against PI for abetment to suicide

Ahmedabad: A week after the body of 32-year-old Vaishali Joshi was found on a bench on the city crime branch premises, Gaekwad Haveli police on Thursday filed an FIR against inspector B K Khachar of the economic offences wing (EOW) for abetting her suicide.

Vaishali Joshi’s sister, Kinjal Pandya, 35, a resident of Vadodara, is the complainant. She stated that she was unaware of her sister’s relationship with Khachar.

Kinjal stated that Vaishali had been staying at a paying guest accommodation in Satellite and worked at a children’s hospital in Nava Vadaj as a medical officer.

She said that her husband, Priyank Pandya, called her on the evening of March 6 and told her that Vaishali had been found dead on a bench near the entrance of the city crime branch campus. He told her she had committed suicide and police had begun legal procedures in the case.

On March 7, when Joshi’s body was sent to the Asarwa Civil Hospital for a postmortem, the Pandyas went there. Her husband was told by police that Joshi had committed suicide due to a failed relationship.

She said investigators had discovered a suicide note in a spiral notebook found near Vaishali’s body. It said that she was committing suicide due to her break-up with Khachar.

Joshi’s family then took her body to her native village, Debhari in Virpur taluka of Mahisagar district, for her last rites.

“After the incident, our family was in trauma. When police told us to file a complaint, we discussed it with community elders and decided to go forward,” Kinjal states.

Kinjal said investigators gave her Joshi’s suicide note to read. It said she had slipped into depression after Khachar severed ties with her. “She had stated that Khachar was responsible for her suicide and had compelled her to do so,” Kinjal said in the FIR.

Kinjal further said that she often spoke to Vaishali about her personal life and advised her to marry a suitable man. As she was sensitive, Kinjal never pressured her to marry, the FIR said. “She used to tell me not to worry about her but never told me about her relationship and the harassment by B K Khachar. We were never aware of her boyfriend or even his name before her death,” Kinjal said in the FIR. Gaekwad Haveli police registered a case of abetment to suicide against Khachar, who is at large. Inspector P H Bhati of Gaekwad Haveli police said they are yet to investigate Khachar’s whereabouts. As the FIR has been filed, the necessary actions will be taken to apprehend him.


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