–TMC Desk
Patna: Rashtriya Janta Dal on Monday demanded CBI probe into the ‘suicide’ by Tauqeer Akram, deputy collector posted in Buxar. As he is the second senior officer posted in the parliamentry constituency of Union Minister of state for health Ashwini Choubey to die in such circumstances the issue is likely to create a political storm.
When the body of Mukesh Pandey, a young IAS officer of 2012 batch, was found beside the railway track near Ghaziabad on August 11, it was said that he had committed suicide because of family dispute. But, Tauqeer Akram’s case has, according to sources, compounded the mystery as he has served as officer on special duty (OSD) of both Mukesh Pandey and present district magistrate of Buxar, Arvind Kumar Verma.
Media reports quoting district officials said that Tauqeer was publicly rebuked by Choubey at a meeting organised in the wake of ‘Ganga Aarti’ on Nov 2.
Choubey on Monday accepted that a meeting took place but denied that he had scolded the official.
“Buxar sub divisional police officer Shaishab Yadav said Akram was to attend an official function in Dumraon block of the district on Sunday. The function was to be attended by two Union Ministers, Ashwini Choubey and Radha Mohan Singh.
After the suicide Choubey visited the deceased family and demanded a probe that why the official, “who was fine till 11 pm, suddenly developed suicidal tendency”.
Later on the same day Choubey, while attending an event slipped and fractured his ankle.
Akram was also under financial constraints. Half of the salaries of Akram and another district official used to be deducted following the order of Land Acquisition Tribunal. They are being paid to a man who was earlier denied compensation for land acquired by the government for a road in early 1970s. Moreover, according to his mother, Akram did not get salary for eight months.
Suicides by two officials of the same district in quick sucession have provided the opposition an opportunity to make political capital out of them. Sensing the gravity of the latest incident chief minister Nitish Kumar, while condoling the death of Akram, asked chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to probe the matter.
