Cop behind family's suicide bid?

A retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP) appears to be in trouble, after four members of a family from Tumkur attempted suicide by consuming pesticide at state police head quarters after they failed to meet DG&IGP to file a complaint against the ACP on Wednesday evening.

Additional commissioner of police (law & order) Kamal Pant told reporters that action would be initiated against the retired ACP if he drove the family to attempting suicide. The Ulsoor Gate police said K Mahesh, 38, his wife Dakshayini, 32, their daughter Vidya, 17, and son Chandan, 11, were admitted to St Martha’s Hospital near police headquarters. They are out of danger.

The family members accused H Subbanna, who retired as ACP of Madiwala sub-division on May 31, of harassing them in a property dispute.

Addressing a press conference before she and her family took the drastic step, Dakshayini alleged that over the last two years, Subbanna interceded in a dispute involving her and her two brothers over a property worth Rs 20 crore, even though it was not in the ACP’s jurisdiction. Her family members sought permission from governor HR Bhardwaj and chief minister Siddaramaiah to end their lives owing to his alleged harassment.

According to Dakshayini’s complaint, her husband Mahesh invested Rs 45 lakh in the real estate venture started by her brothers Somashekar and Kantha Raju in Tumkur in 2005-06. The brothers were working partners in the venture.

After a while, the brothers took possession of all the property documents and refused to share the property bought with Mahesh’s money. Subbanna, then a police inspector in Tumkur, and who was close to the two brothers, tried to settle the dispute in their favour.

Dakshayini said she met DyCP (south-east) PS Harsha a year ago, but no action was forthcoming.

Sources in the police said that after the press  conference, Dakshayini rushed to the DG office along with family members to complain to DG&IGP Lalrokhuma Pachau about Subbanna. When he could not meet them because of his busy schedule, they left the DG’s office, reached the gates of the Reserve Bank of India next door, where they fell unconscious after consuming ‘Decis’, a pesticide.

Two policemen, Narasimhaiah and Palakshaiah, who noticed them collapsing, rushed them to the St Martha’s Hospital on the other side of the road. After admission, they were treated and are out of danger.

The Ulsoor Gate police rushed to the scene and recorded the statement of the victims. Pant, who visited the hospital, said he came to know about “a retired police officer behind their attempt to suicide” and promised action.

The Ulsoor Gate police have registered a case against the victims for attempting suicide.

They have also registered a case against the Subbanna for allegedly harassing the family.