New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday ordered framing of abetment of suicide, extortion, and other charges against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member of legislative assembly (MLA) Prakash Jarwal in connection with a case of the alleged suicide of a doctor in south Delhi last year.
The 52-year-old doctor allegedly died by suicide in Durga Vihar in South Delhi on April 18, 2020. In his suicide note, the doctor had allegedly held Jarwal responsible for his death.
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Like Jarwal, the doctor was also involved in the business of water supply with the Delhi Jal Board since 2007, and police alleged that the MLA and his associates were extorting money from other water tanker owners, including the doctor.
Special judge Geetanjli Goel also ordered framing of charges against Jarwal's close aide Kapil Nagar, saying there were prima facie enough evidence against them.
The court ordered framing of charges under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 384 (extortion), and 506 (criminal intimidation), and 306 (abetment of suicide) under the Indian Penal Code.
The court, meanwhile, discharged co-accused Harish for the offence under Sections 306 and 386 IPC but ordered framing of charge for the offence of criminal intimidation.
The court held that while there were allegations of continuous harassment at the hands of Jarwal and Nagar which prima facie created circumstances under which the deceased had no option but to end his own life, but as regards to Harish, except the reference to his name at three places in the diary, it was seen that there was no reference of any specific act or incident whereby he had committed any wilful act or omission or harassed the deceased or extorted money from him.
It is seen that there is sufficient material on record to prima facie show that the accused Prakash Jarwal and Kapil Nagar extorted the deceased and other tanker owners, the court said.
It is further seen that there is enough material on record to prima facie show that the Jarwal and Nagar extorted the deceased doctor by threatening to kill him and his family if he did not pay the money for plying his tankers with DJB, it noted.
A case of extortion and abetment to suicide was filed against Jarwal, who represents the Deoli assembly constituency, and others based on a police complaint by the doctor's son, Hemant.
The first information report said the doctor had been threatened and intimidated by Jarwal and others.
Police said their investigation showed the money extorted from water tanker owners was routed through the MLA's brother Anil Jarwal and invested in several properties and farm-houses in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana), and Jaipur (Rajasthan).
They said they have found a WhatsApp group in the name of tanker owners whose administrator is Kapil Nagar, a co-accused and Jarwal's close aide. Jarwal is one of its members.
The details clearly show the direct involvement of both the accused in running the tanker mafia in Sangam Vihar and Tigri, police said.
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