Sanjay Popli: The son of bureaucrat Sanjay Popli, who was arrested in a corruption case, died of bullet injury in Chandigarh today. The police are saying that 27-year-old Karthik Popli died of suicide, while his father Sanjay Popli claimed that he was murdered.
Sanjay Popli said, “My son was killed in front of me. I am an eyewitness to my son’s death.” He also claimed that his son was shot by the police officers.
A neighbor told reporters that a team from the Vigilance Bureau had come to his house to probe the case against the bureaucrat and they were present at the time of the incident.
Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Chahal said, “Vigilance team was at Sanjay Popli’s residence here and his son Kartik Popli committed suicide by shooting himself.” Mr Chahal alleged that the 27-year-old shot himself with his father’s licensed gun.
Sanjay Popli was arrested on June 20 for demanding a bribe in exchange for tendering for laying a sewerage pipeline in Punjab’s Nawanshahr.
The Vigilance team was today at the house of the arrested officer to conduct raids during which they seized several gold and silver coins, cash, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
The wife of the arrested bureaucrat told the media that the vigilance officers pressured her to make false statements that would support her case.
“The vigilance officers were pressuring us and they were also harassing my domestic helper to give false statements in support of the case they have registered. My 27 year old son is gone. He was a brilliant lawyer. They told him taken away,” she said.
Sanjay Popli’s wife said, showing blood stains on her hands, “To make a false case, they snatched my son – Karthik went to Popli.”