Former Nagaland governor and ex-CBI chief Ashwani Kumar, who died by suicide on Wednesday, talked about a new journey in his suicide note, the police said.
The ex-IPS officer's body was found hanging at his residence in Brakhast, Shimla. Ashwani Kumar, who served at several high-ranking posts through his career, was 'fed up with life'.
The suicide note recovered by police suggests that he was worried about his illness. "I am going on my next journey after being fed up with life," the suicide note said.
According to the police, Ashwani Kumar went on an evening walk before taking the extreme step. His body was found near the prayer room at his house. His family - wife, son and daughter - was at a lower floor of the house, the police said.
Speaking to media, SP Shimla Mohit Chawla said that the police are investigating the matter and a conclusion on suicide can only be reached after the post-mortem report.
Was Ashwani Kumar depressed?
Sources have said that Ashwani Kumar had been depressed for some time. But Himachal DGP Sanjay Kundru has told India Today TV that Ashwani Kumar's family has not confirmed any such reports. Thus, the police are probing all angles.
"He had gone an evening walk. After that, he went to the top floor of his house to offer his daily prayers. When he did not come back down for a while, his family checked and found him hanging," the DGP said.
Who was Ashwani Kumar?
Ashwani Kumar, a 1973-batch IPS officer, had served at various high-ranking posts at Himachal Police, Central Bureau of Investigation as well as elite SPG. He was the director of the CBI between August 2008 and November 2010. Ashwani Kumar is the first CM chief to later become a governor.
In March 2013, he was appointed as the governor of Nagaland. He was also the governor of Manipur briefly in 2013. However, in the year 2014, he resigned from his post. He was also the V-C of a private university in Shimla. Ashwani Kumar has also been the DGP of the Himachal Police.
During his term at the CBI, he had dealt with the high profile Arushi-Hemraj murder case. Ashwani Kumar was CBI director when the agency had arrested Amit Shah in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter killing case in Gujarat.
(With inputs from Tanseem Haider and Satender Chauhan)