Chandigarh: A suspended Superintending Engineer in Haryana was found dead with a suicide note inside his car on Monday, August 31, with his family alleging prolonged caste-based harassment.
The deceased, identified as Geetu Ram Tanwar, 58, was found unresponsive in his car parked near Sector 9 in Karnal on the day he was scheduled to retire. Police said he may have consumed poison, adding that the exact cause of his death will be determined following a post-mortem examination.
Tanwar reportedly told his family on Monday morning he would be submitting his “last letter” to senior authorities at Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitram Nigam (UHBVN).
“When we started looking for him, his car was found parked near a school in Sector 9. My father was lying on the back seat and was unresponsive. We rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” said Niti Tanwar, his daughter.
Tanwar’s four-page suicide note alleged that several officials, including Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, Executive Engineers (XENs) and Sub-Divisional Officers(SDOs), harassed and subjected him to casteist discrimination while he was posted in Sonipat as a senior official.
His wife, Priti Tanwar, named XENs Ranbir Deswal and Ashwani Kaushik and SDOs Satish Goyat and Pradeep Kumar in her complaint, claiming they constantly discriminated against her husband and did not treat him as a senior officer. The deceased Tanwar had reportedly informed authorities about the discrimination, seeking action, but his complaints were always dismissed.
The family said he was even transferred from a high-ranking post after senior officials opposed the decision. Tanwar moved the court against the transfer order and had obtained a stay, the family said.
His death comes five months after a video circulating on social media showed Tanwar allegedly making casteist remarks, following which he was suspended from his Sonipat post.
In the video, he was heard saying that wherever he saw a “Jaat or jhota,” he would spare neither and hit them with a stick. The officials named in Tanwar’s suicide note had later submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the power utility management and the police over the video. The officials also accused him of exerting pressure on subordinates and abusive behaviour.
Tanwar had claimed the video was edited and recorded months ago. His daughter said it was recorded at the Sonipat DC office by some officials who allegedly forced her father to make casteist comments in jest.
“My father had also publicly apologised despite having done nothing wrong, but no action was taken against those who captured, edited and circulated the video,” Niti said.
The family said that the video was circulated deliberately to tarnish Tanwar’s reputation. “The controversy severely affected my father and us,” Niti said.
After Tanwar was pronounced dead, the family had refused to allow a post-mortem examination or cremate the body, demanding action against those named in his suicide note.
The police eventually registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on a complaint by Tanwar’s wife under Section 3(1)(s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“We have registered an FIR and are verifying the allegations made in the suicide note,” said Narender Bijarniya, Superintendent of Police.
