Gujarat BJP MP's Father's Bail Request Rejected In Abetment To Suicide Case

A sessions court in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by BJP MP Rajesh Chudasama's father Naranbhai Chudasama in a case of abetment to suicide.

The court of sessions judge P G Gokani in Veraval town rejected 62-year-old Naranbhai's anticipatory bail plea, citing that the police investigation in the case has just started and it will not be appropriate to give any relief at this juncture, especially when the crime is of a serious nature.

An FIR was registered against the Chudasamas in May after Dr Atul Chag, a well-known MD physician in the town, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his house on February 12.

The police registered an FIR against the MP from Junagadh Lok Sabha seat, and his father under sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 506-2 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

While the legislator has not filed any plea as yet, Naranbhai filed a plea a few days ago seeking anticipatory bail on various grounds.

As per the FIR, registered three months after the doctor's death, the Chudasamas had a close relationship with him for the last 20 years and had borrowed nearly Rs 1.75 crore from him in instalments since 2008 by winning his trust. They allegedly gave Dr Chag a few cheques.

However, when they stopped responding to Dr Chag's repeated requests to return the money, he deposited one of their cheques of Rs 90 lakh in a bank, but it was dishonoured, the FIR stated.

Days before the suicide, the duo allegedly abused Dr Chag verbally and threatened to kill his only son Hitarth for demanding the money back, the FIR stated, adding that the threat and the thought of losing money deeply upset the doctor, who took the extreme step out of shock and fear.

In his plea, Naranbhai claimed that although no concrete evidence has been found against them so far, the police suddenly lodged an FIR against them just because his son is an MP.

He further argued that the police probe had already revealed that there was no direct relation between bouncing of the cheque and suicide because the two incidents had taken place in a gap of more than a year.

Citing a police inquiry, the petitioner claimed that Dr Chag had actually lost nearly Rs 2.97 crore in stock market and it is possible that he ended his life because of that shock.

Two accountants of Dr Chag had also informed the police in their statements that they were not aware of any transaction between the doctor and the Chudasama duo, Naranbhai stated in the plea, claiming that even the doctor's wife, in her statement, had denied having any knowledge of such transactions.

Opposing the plea, public prosecutor C N Kakkad said the applicant may create hurdles in the ongoing probe by influencing witnesses if he was given any relief at this stage. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)