Rajasthan: First arrest in Dalit VDO suicide case, other accused still absconding

The first arrest was made on Monday after eight days in the case of Lalit Beniwal’s suicide. Seven people have been named accused in this case. Search is on for other absconding accused. FIR has been registered against all under sections 306, 120B of IPC and SC/ST Act.

Published on: 27 Feb 2024, 5:59 pm

New Delhi. The first arrest was made on Monday after eight days in the case of suicide of Dalit officer Lalit Beniwal in Neemkathana district of Rajasthan. According to BBC report, the police has arrested the accused named in the FIR, Manoj Gurjar, from Mumbai. Here, IIT Kanpur Alumni Association has come forward to help Lalit’s family. By establishing the Lalit Beniwal Memorial Fund, around Rs 32 lakh has been collected so far, a target of Rs 60 lakh has been set. This amount will soon be given to the family.

Manoj Chipalata is Gram Panchayat Sarpanch. Deceased Lalit Beniwal was working as Village Development Officer in the Gram Panchayat of Chiplata village of the same Ajitgarh Panchayat Samiti of Rajasthan for the last ten months.

Other absconding accused are being searched

According to BBC report, Rajendra Singh, the investigating officer of this case and Deputy SP of Ajitgarh, said, “Sarpanch Manoj was absconding since the incident and was changing his place to escape. The police team caught Manoj seventy kilometers from Pune. “Arrested from a far away location.”

According to the report, seven people have been named accused in this case. Search is on for other absconding accused. FIR has been registered against all under sections 306, 120B of IPC and SC ST Act.

FIR was lodged for embezzlement of government money

The transactions and works done during the last financial year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 were audited in which irregularities of government money worth five lakh twenty thousand and eleven rupees were revealed. On the basis of this audit report, on the verbal orders of Ajitgarh Block Development Officer (BDO) Ajay Singh, Lalit Beniwal had lodged an FIR in Thoi police station on February 15 against Chipalata Sarpanch Manoj Gurjar and former Sarpanch Birbal Gurjar for embezzlement of government money.

According to the family members and the suicide note written by Lalit, after getting information about registration of FIR, Sarpanch Birbal and others intimidated Lalit Beniwal and threatened to file a defamation case. After which, fed up with these threats and harassment, Lalit committed suicide by hanging himself at his house. Lalit Beniwal’s body was recovered from his house on the morning of 18 February.

In his suicide note, Lalit Baniwal had made many serious allegations against seven people including Chiplata Sarpanch Manoj, former Sarpanch Birbal, Panchayat employee and contractor, including corruption and harassment.

I could not fight, you fight hard, move forward well…”

Lalit had written in his nine-page suicide note, “I had gone to Panchayat Samiti Ajitgarh on the 15th to submit the resignation letter. Because I am under a lot of stress from this job in Chipalata Panchayat. Now I can’t handle the pressure. I told the BDO to get transferred or take resignation. He said that first file an FIR and then I will talk to the head about transfer. I was already very scared and depressed.”

Lalit wrote – “I am an IIT graduate, while doing UPSC, I got stuck in the job of Village Development Officer and now I am not getting UPSC.” In the end he has written for his sisters, “What I could not do, all three of you should do it and show it to the world. I could not fight, you fight hard, move forward well…”