Kolkata: A retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the West Bengal cadre, who purportedly committed suicide last week, held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “directly responsible” for his death.
However, Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dubbed the allegation as one with “no basis.” Gaurav Dutt, the 1986 batch IPS officer, was reportedly found with a slit wrist at his home on February 19. Dutt who had taken voluntary retirement last year wrote in his suicide note that Banerjee was “directly responsible” for abetting his suicide by constantly “victimising” him for the past 10 years.
“Present CM WB has victimised me for 10 years and went all out to demoralise me due to her single-minded vendetta against me for reasons best known to her,” he wrote in the note. In the letter, believed to be his last before committing suicide, Dutt claimed Banerjee refused to close two pending cases against him despite not having any substantial corruption charges against him and thereby blocked his Rs 70 lakh due earnings following retirement.
Dutt, the son of Padma Shri awardee 1939 batch IPS officer Gopal Dutt, was suspended and sent on compulsory leave in 2010, following allegations of sexually abusing a male constable. “I have been singled out for bias and prejudice by the bureaucracy and the police hierarchy in my daily functions. I was refused leave, was not sent on deputation, nor was I sent on any police course, training, and was not allowed to renew my passport,” he wrote.
Describing the present situation in the state as “toxic and hellish” under the current regime, Dutt claimed no IPS officer in West Bengal “can open his mouth or speak his mind.” “Everyone is scared to death that they will face instant revenge from (the state’s) ruling party. All are prisoners here. No one is allowed to go to deputation also,” Dutt wrote.
A senior Trinamool Congress leader, however, rubbished the allegations against the party and its supremo and said the police were looking into the unnatural death. “Such allegations have no basis. I have not seen the letter, thus cannot comment on what is written there. I think the police have taken up the case of unnatural death. They are looking into the matter,” TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said.