By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun/Pauri, 21 Aug: A 32-year-old man, Jitendra Singh, was found dead by suicide in his car in Talwari village of Pauri block on the morning of 21 August. The incident has prompted police action following the emergence of a video recorded by the deceased, in which he alleged financial misconduct by BJP youth wing leader Himanshu Chamoli. Based on the contents of the video, Chamoli has been taken into custody and is currently being questioned.
Singh in his video has also claimed that Chamoli used to claim that he is an OSD in the Chief Minister’s Office but the officials at the CMO have dismissed this claim. They say that Chamoli was never appointed OSD or to any other post in the Chief Minister’s Office.
According to the police, Jitendra Singh, son of Satish Chandra and a resident of Dehradun, was discovered inside his vehicle with a single-barrel firearm and an empty cartridge. A police team, acting on instructions from Pauri Senior Superintendent of Police Lokeshwar Singh, reached the site and conducted a panchnama before sending the body for post-mortem. The video, which was uploaded on social media prior to the incident, has been secured as part of the investigation.
In the video, Singh alleged that Chamoli had taken Rs 35 lakhs from him in connection with a land transaction and had failed to resolve the matter, causing him mental distress. The police have registered a case and are examining the financial dealings mentioned in the video. SSP Lokeshwar Singh claimed that while the exact cause of the suicide is yet to be confirmed, further investigation is being conducted on the basis of the video.
Meanwhile, following the allegations, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has removed Himanshu Chamoli from his post as State Secretary. The action was taken on the instructions of BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt, and a formal communication was issued by BJYM State President Shashank Rawat. Sources claimed that process has been initiated to also expel Chamoli from the party.
Local residents have expressed concern over the incident, describing Singh as a quiet person, who had been under financial pressure. The police have assured that all aspects of the case, including the financial dispute and the video statement, are being investigated thoroughly.
