Minor arrested for Ajmal’s death; Bangalore cops say it’s suicide

Five days after Ajmal PM, 18, succumbed to burn injuries after alleging that his tormentors at college set the fire, the police arrested a minor. The police are saying that Ajmal committed suicide and have thus booked the minor for abetting suicide.

A police officer said that their investigation thus far had revealed that Ajmal himself had set fire in the bathroom, not his tormentors. The officer said that Ajmal might have set fire because of ragging by the three students. During interrogation, the minor—a student of Ajmal’s college—confessed to harassing him along with two others for money.

The minor said that he and his friends used to blackmail Ajmal to give them money. He said Ajmal had once visited a prostitute after borrowing `15,000 from the trio. Although he returned the amount, the trio asked him to give more money, failing which they threatened to make public his secret.

The police even have the phone recording of this conversation between Ajmal and the trio. Some students of their college (Sha-Shib College of Engineering, Chikballapur) had the recording and they handed it over to the police, who gave it to court.   Ajmal panicked and stole his mother’s gold chain and gave it to the trio, who sold it and took the money.

The minor was produced in court and sent to juvenile home. He was residing in a village near Chikballapur. The other two college students who used to harass Ajmal are still absconding.

Earlier, based on Ajmal’s statement, the police had registered a case of attempt to murder against the trio. After the investigation, the police have charged the trio with abetment of suicide too.
Meanwhile, Ajmal’s family is still of the view that the students who used to rag him had set the fire on March 22. His parents have filed a complaint with Kannur police, seeking investigation into
his death.