AAP says officer was ‘under pressure’; CBI calls it misleading

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia blames pressure to ‘illegally frame’ him for the death of the CBI officer

The death of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer by suicide became a political issue in the national capital, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that the officer had been under pressure to “illegally” frame Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, which the CBI termed as “mischievous” and “misleading”. 

Mr. Sisodia on Monday alleged that CBI Deputy Legal Advisor Jitendra Kumar, who died by suicide last week, was under pressure to make a case against Mr. Sisodia in an “illegal” way and give permission to arrest, but the official did not do it. 

“He was under so much pressure that he had to commit suicide,” Mr. Sisodia said. “I want to tell the Prime Minister, if you want to arrest me, tell me, I’ll come. But don’t put pressure on officials that they’re forced to commit suicide. This is not right.” 

A senior Delhi Police officer also said that the CBI official had not held anyone responsible for his death.

Responding to the allegations, the CBI said in a statement, “CBI strongly refutes this mischievous and misleading statement by Shri Sisodia. It is clarified that the gentleman officer late Shri Jitendra Kumar was in no way connected with the investigation of this case.”

The statement said that the officer was in-charge of prosecution and he was supervising prosecutors who were conducting the trial of already charge-sheeted cases in Delhi.

“Further, as per the Delhi Police, which is conducting inquest into the death, the officer has not held anyone responsible for his death in his suicide note. The mischievous and misleading statement of Shri Sisodia is an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing investigation in Delhi Excise Policy case, and also amounting to interference in the inquest proceedings into the death of the gentleman officer,” the statement read.