Pilot meets family of Ramprasad Meena at dharna site, leaves Congress red-faced

In an embarrassment to the ruling Congress in Rajasthan, party leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday visited the protest site where BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena is sitting on a dharna with the family of a man who allegedly killed himself recently.

The former deputy chief minister called for "visible" justice to the family without delay.

Ramprasad Meena, 38, hanged himself on Monday in a godown over an alleged land dispute.

In a video recorded before his death, he accused Cabinet Minister Mahesh Joshi and a few other people of creating problems for his family in connection with the land dispute and blamed them for his extreme step.

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The family had refused to hand over the body to police for post-mortem examination unless the accused are arrested but they agreed for it Thursday at the godown where Ramprasad hanged himself and where his body has been kept.

The postmortem was done in the evening but the family has not yet accepted the body, said Additional District Magistrate (South) Mohammad Abubakr. Efforts are being made to convince them, he added.

The family has also sought a compensation and a government job to a family member.

Kirodi Lal Meena has been a part of the dharna in Chandi ki Taksal in Subhash Chowk for the last three days. He said the Meena community will collect a sum of Rs 50 lakh and will give it to the family members.

Pilot, who is involved in a tussle for power with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the state unit of the Congress, demanded an impartial and time-bound probe in the case after meeting the family members at the dharna site near their home. He also talked to Kirodi Lal Meena during his visit.

During a meeting with officials later, Gehlot said the incident was "very sad" and district authorities should act promptly in protecting the poor from harassment of influential people, according to a statement.

"A person from the ST community has died by suicide. It is a shock if someone's life is lost. It is a very heart-wrenching incident. I talked to his father, brother and son, and they have said several things," Pilot told reporters.

"The victim's family should get justice. Justice should not be delayed and justice should also be visible,” he said.

When pointed out that the family members have said they feel an atmosphere of fear, Pilot said, "The family is speaking, so there must be pressure. I do not understand why the delay is happening? There are proofs coming up. If the action is seen, then it will generate confidence in them,” he said.

Pilot said there are video statements and other proofs that should be considered during investigation.

“This is a very poor family and it is the responsibility of all of us, whoever is the accused, there should be a fair investigation. The family should believe that justice will be done,” he said.

In the video statement, Ramprasad Meena alleged he was forced to take the extreme step as Joshi and others caused a lot of trouble to his family.

Later, Kirodi Lal Meena said Ramprasad Meena had gone to meet Joshi after his family did not get help from anywhere. He added that the family members told him the minister insulted and pushed them.

"Due to the minister's torture, he became depressed and embraced death," the BJP leader alleged.

Joshi, the local MLA (from Hawa Mahal seat), denied the allegations, saying he did not misbehave with the family when they had come to meet him on April 13.

After Pilot left, Kirodi Lal Meena said it was good that a senior leader of the Congress party met the family members. He said Pilot has spoken to media about things that Ramprasad Meena's family had been saying.

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He said the family's main demand was the arrest of the accused.

Meena claimed three of the accused — Rakesh Tank, Dev Awasthi and Lal Devnani — have been taken into custody but no police official confirmed this.

Earlier in the day, Congress MLA Harish Meena, considered close to Pilot, also met the family members.

Pilot held a day-long fast in Jaipur last week alleging inaction by the Gehlot government on complaints of alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje dispensation.

He also skipped two programmes of the party recently in Jaipur.