Kartik Popli (27), son of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sanjay Popli who was arrested on corruption charges, died by suicide on Saturday, according to the police.
The family of Mr. Kartik, who died in the presence of a team of Punjab Vigilance Bureau at their residence here, alleged that vigilance personnel were responsible for the incident.
Four days after the arrest of Sanjay Popli in a corruption case, the Vigilance Bureau recovered over 12 kilogram (Kg) Gold, 3-kg silver among other items from the storeroom of his house at Sector 11 in Chandigarh. The 12-kg Gold includes 9 gold Bricks (each 1 kg), 49 gold biscuits and 12 gold coins, while 3 Kg silver includes 3 Silver bricks (each 1kg) and 18 silver coins (each 10 grams),” said an official statement.
IAS officer Sanjay Popli was arrested on June 21, for allegedly demanding a 1% commission as a bribe of Rs 7 lakhs for clearance of tenders for laying of sewerage pipeline at Nawanshahr in Punjab.
“Based on the statement of Sanjay Popli, the team of Vigilance Bureau conducted a raid at his residence and recovered the gold, silver and mobile phones concealed in the storeroom of his house,” it added.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Chandigarh) Kuldeep Singh Chahal told reporters that we have started the investigation and after verification of the matter it has come to the fore that he (Mr. Kartik) has shot himself. He added that a licensed pistol was used in the incident.
Sanjay Popli’s wife said alleged that Vigilance personnel were pressuring us to give false statements surrounding the case. “My son has been killed. They were mentally torturing my son. I want justice. I will go to the court. Bhagwant Mann (the chief minister of Punjab) should answer,” she said.
