Jammu, Feb 17:
Death of 36 year old Major Anita Kumari of Army Service Core (ASC) stationed at Field Supply Depot (FSD) 259 BD 1190 in Bari-Brahmana cantonment in Samba district continues to be mystery with family claiming murder and the police as well as the army unit she was serving with saying that the lady army officer committed suicide.
What makes the story interesting is that none heard the gun-shot which led to the death of the lady officer in a heavily fortified army instillation place where even a pin-drop does not go unnoticed.
According to the handout which the army issued on the fateful day, the lady officer was found dead at her official residence, Quarter no. 199/3 in Bari-Brahmana cantonment, in Samba district on the evening of December 15, 2015. Her dead body was found in a pool of blood at around 8.15 PM on December 15, 2016 by her colleagues in the 259 Army Service Core (ASC). Bari Brahmana Police led by the then SDPO Bari Brahmana Kulbeer Handa and the then SHO Police Station Bari-Brahmana Yashpal Singh Jamwal reached the spot after the Army called them up at around 9 PM.
The family was informed at around 10.10 PM on the same day about the suicide of Major Anita. Police said that Major Anita had sustained bullet injury from her service pistol which was also found lying near her body. Police had then stated that circumstantial evidence suggested it to be a case of suicide. The statement which appeared in the media on the morning of December 16, 2016 from the police said "Her room was bolted from inside and we found the gunshot wound on her right temple. We also recovered a pistol from the crime scene."
"It was her domestic help, who informed us of some foul play because he told us that despite his repeated knocks, the officer did not open the door," police had said. It had on that day seized a diary, a wallet and the weapon, among other items. Three suicide notes bearing different dates were found and the same had been handed over to Forensic Science Laboratory for confirming whether they were written by Major Anita Kumari or not.
The police completed its inquest and on January 28, 2017 i.e after nearly 44 days lodged an FIR wherein it accused Major Anup, with whom Major Anita was in love and her ex-Husband Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal of rape, abetment to suicide, conspiracy and blackmail.
However, the police has neither arrested Major Anup nor made any effort to bring ex-Husband of Major Anita kumari to Jammu for interrogation purpose. Major Anup Kumar is posted in the 898/AT Battalion of Army in Rajouri while Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal is a successful businessman in New Delhi.
The police had seized a diary, a wallet and the weapon, among other items. Three suicide notes bearing different dates were found. Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed that two of the three notes bore her handwriting. In one of the notes, sources said, she reportedly wrote that she was being blackmailed and that Major Anup shall be held responsible for her death.
The police is yet to submit its investigation report in the court of law. Meanwhile, Major Anup Kumar has applied for anticipatory bail while Anubhav is yet to be contacted. Amid this, a look at the police inquest and family version
Accused roam scot-free
The police completed its inquest and on January 28, 2017 wherein it accused Major Anup, with whom Major Anita was having an affair and her ex-Husband Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal of rape, abetment to suicide, conspiracy and blackmail. However, the police have neither arrested Major Anup nor made any effort to bring ex-Husband of Major Anita Kumari to Jammu for interrogation. Major Anup Kumar is posted in the 898/AT Battalion of Army in Rajouri while Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal is a successful businessman in New Delhi.
reveals a lot about this mysterious suicide.
Deceased Anita Kumari's sister Sunita Kumari who is running from pillar to post to get justice for her sister, who she says was murdered by Major Anup Kumar. She corroborated the police version of the story of Major Anita's marriage with Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal, a resident of District Balliya in Uttar Pradesh. But she said that the two divorced amicably on July 4, 2013 and that Anubhav was a nice man, exploring options to re-marry Major Anita Kumari.
She said "We have nothing against him. He was nice man. When our sister developed relationships with Major Anup Kumar, the two parted ways amicably." She added that Major Anup Kumar was primarily responsible for the divorce of the two and then, when he backtracked and refused to marry Major Anita Kumari, Anubhav came around to again help Anita recover from this shock.
"Major Anup Kumar used my sister and then, refused to marry her when she divorced her first husband for him. We knew he was with our sister from December 12, 2016 to December 14, 2016. He left the quarter at around 1.15 AM i.e exactly 30 minutes after killing my sister. We suspect that it is he who shot my sister. My sister had no reason to commit suicide," claims Sunita Kumari, who is an employee in the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).
She talked to us on December 13, 2016 and told us that Major Anup Kumar was with her, said Sunita while adding that even the Major talked to the family, promising to marry Anita very soon. "But at around 10.10 PM on December 15, 2016; the army informed us that Major Anita Kumari had committed suicide. We were shocked to hear this," added Sunita. We are surprised how no one heard the gunshot that too in the mid of night when it is completely silent all over the camp, Sunita said while adding that the army is lying that it knew nothing about her suicide till late in the evening of December 15, 2016.
"How could no one suspect something has happened when Anita did not report for the routine duty to the butchery unit? The army does not behave like this. You cannot take leave without informing the unit. And army tells us, they knew nothing about Anita till a maid knocked at her door and on finding no one responding, informed the unit. This absurd," added Sunita.
She alleged that Army is trying to cover-up and help Major Anup in escaping the noose.
Regarding the lodging of FIR, Sunita said that it took her 44 days and several visits to the office of ex-IGP (Jammu) Danish Rana to finally force police to lodge FIR against the accused Major Anup Kumar. "They were reluctant to lodge the FIR for the reasons best know to them. They delayed it to the extent that Major Anup Kumar managed to approach court seeking anticipatory bail. This was done deliberately to help the accused," alleged Sunita.
And when Early Times approached the police, they said that Army has not been cooperating the probe. And when asked, why they have not arrested Major Anup Kumar or called Anubhav Kumar Aggarwal for questioning, they said that the process is on and they would soon be taken into custody. "We don't know how the Major reached the court. Now that we have been informed, we will try to arrest him.
Army is not cooperating," the police officer said.
http://www.earlytimesnews.com/m/newsdet.aspx?q=196448
