CHENNAI: A 24-year-old jewellery shop owner in Pali, Rajasthan died after consuming poison on Wednesday, triggering a tense protest in Pali district, with his family alleging that harassment by Chennai police personnel and a jeweller from Chennai drove him to the extreme step. Investigators are now examining the possible role of a Chennai police inspector, whose name has surfaced during preliminary inquiries.
The deceased, identified as Vinod Kumar alias Vardaram Gurjar (24), along with his brother Budharam (22), allegedly ingested poison after facing repeated threats and extortion demands linked to a theft case registered in Chennai. The family claims that Chennai-based jeweller one Mahavir and two constables — Shiva and Gopi — had been pressuring the brothers to confess to a theft, threatening physical assault and attachment of their ancestral land in Rajasthan’s Pali district.
While the initial allegations named only the two constables, senior police sources confirmed to this newspaper that the name of a Chennai police inspector has emerged during the family’s statements, prompting a formal verification.
“We are looking into all aspects, including whether any supervisory officer from Chennai had knowledge of or involvement in the alleged harassment,” senior police officer in Pali told reporters.
Vinod succumbed to the poison and was declared dead at AIIMS Jodhpur, while Budharam remains under medical care. Following the death, grieving family members and local community groups staged a protest outside the AIIMS mortuary and held heated arguments with police in Bagri Nagar area, demanding registration of an FIR and immediate arrest of the accused.
Local administration officials are in dialogue with protesting groups to restore normalcy. Meanwhile, the family has appealed to Rajasthan Chief Minister and state police headquarters to transfer the case to a special investigation team, citing fears of a cover-up. No formal arrest has been made so far.