Shimla, Oct 7
Mystery seems to shroud around the extreme step taken by former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar who was found dead in his residence. The state police stated depression could be the cause of sucide.
Kumar who was 1950 born reportedly was found hanging in his residence around 2000hrs on October 7 as state police stated depression the preliminary cause of death.
The high profile police officer handled number of important cases during the CBI stint. The demise of Kumar in mysterious circumstances seemed to be a major set back to state police which is having great reverence for Kumar being a honest and upright police officer head of state police in between 2006 to 2008. Kumar was reportedly strolling on the mall road a day before his demise.
Death of Kumar is a great set back to state police as he had illustrious carrier and got president police medal. He had remained in SPG during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister and was very close to Nehru Gandhi family. The proximity and uprightness of Sharma was also appreciated by the erstwhile UPA government when he was elevated as Governor of Nagaland and later he was appointed as Guv of Manipur.
After completion of term of Guv Sharma joined a private University at Shimla where he was posted as Pro Vice Chancellor and then Chancellor.
A 19 Member state police SIT lead by Additional inspector General of Police Venu Gopal was probing the fake degree scam in which AP Goyal university was also arrayed party and FIR was registered in the Police Station recently.
Though it is too early to speculate the reason of extreme setup but the mega degree scams which is currently being probed lasted in between 2009 to 2019 . Kumar’s demise and cause of depression is million dollar question as being the CBI director number of cases which were being handled by the agency include Isharat Jahangir encounter and other such cases. Later the case was transferred to Mumbai High court from Gujarat which also involved mysterious death of justice Loya.
Was Kumar under probe in SIT case of APG University fake degree or not is not clear so far. However it is certain that thousands of degrees were sold by a number private universities and the probe is going on the complaint of the University Grant Commission.
State police has expressed deep sorrow over the unceremonious demise of an illustrious police officer who was great source of inspiration to the force. Sharma belonged to Sirmaur district and was living in his private house at Shimla when the sad incident took place.
Some facts
Dealt important cases in CBI
Kumar served as CBI director between 2008 and 2010, leading investigations into cases like the the Aarushi Talwar murder case, where he overturned the initial CBI findings and constituted a fresh team that then accused the parents of the crime.
The parents have since been acquitted.
He also initiated a probe into the alleged Commonwealth Games scam, and it was under his tenure that a charge sheet in the alleged Sohrabuddin fake encounter case was filed against now Home Minister Amit Shah.
Shah has since been discharged in the case.
He also served as governor of Manipur. Kumar resigned from the post of Nagaland governor in 2014, the third gubernatorial incumbent who is believed to have resigned under prodding from the then newly-sworn-in Modi government as it sought to remove UPA appointees.
When he returned to his home state after his resignation as Nagaland governor, he served as chancellor at APG Goyal Shimla University but quit in 2018.
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