The son of a bureaucrat, who is under arrest in a corruption case, has died of a gunshot wound in Chandigarh on Saturday. While the police are saying that Kartik Popli, the son of Indian Administrative Services officer Sanjay Popli, died by suicide, his family, however, is claiming he was murdered.
"The vigilance team was here at Sanjay Popli's residence and his son Kartik Popli shot and killed himself," said Kuldeep Chahal, SSP Chandigarh. Mr Chahal claimed the 27-year-old shot himself with his father's licensed gun.
"The Vigilance team reached here (IAS Sanjay Popli's house) for enquiry and heard a gunshot. After verification, they realized his son has shot himself with his licensed gun," he added.
Mr Popli's wife has accused the vigilance team of killing their only child.
"Bhagwant Mann has killed our son. The vigilance team was here in our residence and they killed my son," she said.
The vigilance team was at the arrested officer's home today to carry out a raid during which they seized several gold and silver coins, cash, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
"12 kg of gold has been recovered from the house of IAS officer Sanjay Popli, who was arrested in a corruption case. Nine gold bricks, weighing one kg, 49 biscuits weighing 3.16 kg and 12 gold coins, weighing 356 grams have been recovered from his house. Three bricks of one kg each of silver have also been found. Silver coins weighing 10 grams each have also been recovered," police said.
Several phones were also found from a bag hidden inside a store room, the police said, adding, Kartik shot himself during the seizure of the bag.
"4 iPhones, a Samsung folder phone, Two smartwatches and cash worth Rs 3.50 lakh were also found from a black leather bag kept hidden inside a store room of the house. It was during this seizure that Kartik Popli shot himself," they said.
A vigilance department officer said their team had no involvement in his death.
We have no involvement in the killing. He may be was in stress due to such heavy recovery. We got to know about the death only after we had reached back to our office," said Ajay Kumar, DSP Vigilance.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring expressed his shock over Kartik's death and slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the state.
"Shocking! Profound condolences and sympathies for Sanjay Popli who lost his son Kartik under tragic circumstances. Making law take its own course and dramatising the process for vested interests that cost a precious life is unpardonable," he tweeted.
Sanjay Popli was arrested for allegedly demanding bribe in exchange of clearing tenders for laying sewerage pipeline in Punjab's Nawanshahr. He was sent to a four-day police remand.
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