On Sunday, a 21-year-old student allegedly committed suicide at his home after being questioned by Delhi Police in a robbery case. Suraj Thakur, who died in the incident, also recorded a video on his phone, alleging that he had been harassed by the police. Hari Nagar in West Delhi was the scene of the incident.
Suraj’s parents and two siblings survive him as a second-year BA student. His father is a labourer, and his mother is a stay-at-home mom. The family uploaded the video to YouTube. “They (police) forced me to sit on a bike and took me to the station,” Suraj is said to be crying in his room.
Meri koi galti nahi thi meri koi galti nahi thi meri ko (I did nothing wrong). They ordered me to contact my friends. They assured me that if I told them where Ankit was, they would dismiss me. I dialled Ankit’s number, and he arrived. They then requested that Ankit contact his brother, Abhishek… The cops then informed me that they (Ankit and Abhishek) harass young girls. They asked if I was involved in such activities, and that I take smack I told them that I didn’t do anything wrong… They sent me back to my house. I didn’t make any mistakes. I am completely innocent. The reputation of my parents is on the stake. I’m depressed… I am the one who is committing suicide, and I am the one who is responsible for it. I’m not going to point the finger at anyone. This is not the fault of anyone.
Neeraj (18), his younger brother, claimed that police “tortured” his brother. Suraj, he said, also supported the family by working as a helper in a garment shop. They took his phone without telling us. I later learned that he had been arrested.
“I went to Mayapuri chowki and found him,” Neeraj claimed, adding that Suraj was “threatened” by police and immediately went to his room and hanged himself. Police denied the allegations, saying they had only summoned him for questioning and would soon release him.
Suraj later recorded a video on his phone in which he claimed he was depressed and was committing suicide because he couldn’t bear the humiliation his family would face, and that no one would be held responsible for his suicide. In his jhuggi, he committed suicide. We are continuing our investigation and will take appropriate legal action if necessary.