Senior lawyer Omkar Tyagi, 50, died by suicide at his Meerut house on Saturday morning. Over 100 lawyers protested in Meerut on Monday alleging police inaction after their colleague allegedly hanged himself to death, accusing BJP MLA from Hastinapur Dinesh Khatik and several others of harassing him in his suicide note. The protesters staged a blockade by forming a human chain at the Commissioner’s Park and then marched to the SSP office to submit a memorandum. They ransacked furniture in the office on not finding the SSP.
Senior lawyer Omkar Tyagi, 50, died by suicide at his Meerut house on Saturday morning.
Giving a 48-hour deadline to police for arresting BJP MLA Khatik, lawyers have decided to observe a two-day strike from Tuesday. They will also hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide their future course of action if the police failed to arrest the BJP MLA.
“SSP Ajay Sahni has assured us that they will take action in this connection within 24 hours and we have decided to give them another day to arrest all those named as accused in the FIR. We will observe a complete strike for two days and step up our agitation if police failed to keep its promise,” said Mahavir Tyagi, president of the Meerut Bar Association.
Police said an FIR has been registered against Khatik and 14 others at the Ganganagar police station for abetment of suicide late on Saturday night. In his three-page suicide note, Tyagi has accused Khatik and others of harassing him. His elder son, Luv Tyagi, and his wife were separated. They were allegedly forcing Tyagi to pay Rs 14 lakh to Luv’s in-laws to settle the matter. The woman’s family has also registered a case under the Dowry Act, in which Tyagi, his wife and two sons have been made accused.
Villagers of Kharkhauda’s Aichi, Tyagi’s native village, have decided to hold a mahapanchayat in protest against the alleged police inaction in this matter.
“We will also put up posters announcing that the BJP MLA is not allowed to enter over two dozen villages for his action, which claimed the life of my father,” claimed Luv.
However, Khatik denied all allegations levelled against him.
“I am ready to face any inquiry for the baseless charges. All accusations against me are politically fabricated at the behest of my opponents in the Samajwadi Party. I hope that police will conduct an unbiased inquiry and I will come out clean,” said Khatik.
“We have sought footage of CCTV cameras at Tyagi’s residence to check who had come to his house to threaten him as he has mentioned in the suicide note,” said SSP Sahni.
Meanwhile, Luv’s wife Swati has publicly condemned him. “My husband himself is responsible for the death of his father who was not happy with his son’s behaviour towards me. Luv has beaten me up several times and even tried to kill me once, to which my late father-in-law had strongly objected,” said Swati.