In a tragic incident, the twenty-seven year-old son of IAS officer Sanjay Popli, currently under arrest in a graft case, died of bullet wounds here on Saturday. While the police claimed that he committed suicide, the family members alleged foul play.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had earlier this week arrested IAS officer Sanjay Popli in a graft case for allegedly demanding a bribe in exchange for clearing tenders for laying a sewerage pipeline in Nawanshahr.
Chandigarh's Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said after verifying things it has come to the fore that the 27-year-old ''has shot himself''. Further investigations are on, the SSP said, adding a licensed pistol was used in the incident.
In connection with the investigation of the case, a Vigilance team had come to Popli's house and was present at the time of the incident, a neighbor and family friend told reporters.
On June 21, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had arrested Popli for allegedly demanding a one percent commission as a bribe for clearance of tenders for laying a sewerage pipeline at Nawanshahr.
An inconsolable Sanjay Popli's wife told reporters, ''The Vigilance officials were pressuring us and they were even torturing my domestic help to give false statements in support of the case they have registered. My 27-year-old son is gone. He was a brilliant lawyer. They have snatched him''.
''To build a false case, they snatched my son--Kartik Popli is gone,'' said Sanjay Popli's wife showing blood spots of his son on her hands. ''I want justice. I will move court,'' said the wailing woman, repeatedly crying ''my son has been killed''. ''(Punjab Chief Minister) Bhagwant Mann should answer,'' she said.
She said her husband Sanjay was due to appear before the court and a Vigilance team had visited their house.
''The Vigilance people took Kartik upstairs and when I went up they were mentally torturing my son,'' she said while adding ''even our mobile phones were snatched''. ''My son has died...,'' she alleged.
A 51-year-old woman, a neighbor and family friend of the Popli family, alleged that ''Sanjay Popli was being pressured by the Vigilance that he should agree to the allegations leveled by them''. ''Kartik Popli too was detained for hours,'' said the woman.
Vigilance Bureau recovers 12kg gold, 3 kg silver from IAS officer Popli's house
Four days after the arrest of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sanjay Popli in corruption case, the Vigilance Bureau on Saturday recovered over 12Kg Gold, 3Kg Silver, four Apple iPhones, one Samsung Fold Phone and two Samsung Smartwatches from storeroom of his house at Sector 11, Chandigarh. The 12 Kg Gold includes 9 Gold Bricks (each 1kg), 49 Gold biscuits and 12 Gold coins, while 3Kg silver includes 3 Silver bricks (each 1kg) and 18 silver coins (each 10 grams).
Popli was arrested on June 20, for allegedly demanding a 1% commission as a bribe of Rs 7 lakhs for clearance of tenders for laying of sewerage pipeline at Nawanshahr. His accomplice identified as Sandeep Wats was also arrested from Jalandhar. AN official Spokesperson of Vigilance Bureau said that based on the statement of Popli, the team of Vigilance Bureau conducted a raid at his residence and recovered the gold, silver and mobile phones concealed in the storeroom of his house.
