Jeweller suicide: Kin demands CBI probe against VDA officials

The wife of a jeweller, who committed suicide by setting himself afire in divisional commissioner's office after allegedly being harassed by Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) officials here, has demanded a CBI inquiry into his death.
Rinki Aggarwal today asked the Centre to initiate a CBI inquiry into the death of her husband, Manish Aggarwal (35), during a joint press conference held with senior BJP leader Ajay Aggarwal.
Rinki said she filed an application in the local court last week for registering an FIR against the officials responsible for the death and added that she would also move the High Court for justice.

The BJP leader alleged that the VDA officials harassed Manish and extorted money from him on several occasion after threatening to demolish his house which led him to take the extreme step.
He claimed that they have evidence to prove their claim and have recorded tapes of the authority officials who threatened Manish.
The BJP leader also demanded an FIR against the Divisional Commissioner, the VC of VDA, secretary and engineer in the case.

The BJP leader said that as Varanasi is the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all such ultra-vires practices must stop immediately and sought the PM's intervention in the matter.

Denying the allegations levelled against them, the VDA officials said that they were only following the orders of the High Court to check illegal construction within the 200 metres of the banks of Ganga to protect city heritage.
Manish had allegedly set himself on afire by pouring kerosene on himself last month inside the Divisional Commissioner's office. He was rushed to BHU's trauma centre from where he was transferred to a hospital in New Delhi where he died on on January 5.
The VDA, few years ago, had issued notice to Manish for demolishing a part of a constructionin his old house, which according to VDA was illegal.

Meanwhile, the mahant of Sankat Mochan temple alleged that a VDA made an "illegal" raid at his residence at Tulsi Ghat here, a week ago, on the complaint of unlawful construction.
The mahant, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, alleged that the VDA had not issued any notice to him in advance and was not informed and claimed the officials were misusing the High Court orders.