Ex-MLC among two named in abetment of suicide FIR

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Former MLC Abdullah alias Babajani Khan Durrani, along with another person, was named in an FIR late on Tuesday night for abetting the suicide of a 72-year-old farmer from Pathri, who allegedly died after consuming pesticide the previous evening. Relevant sections of the atrocities act have also been invoked in the FIR against the duo.
Police identified the victim as Balkrishna Kamble, a former aide of Durrani. According to police, Kamble’s son found his body in a farm in Pathri on Tuesday morning. A suicide note found on the body blamed Durrani for betraying him. The suicide note also named a common contact between Kamble and Durrani.
Durrani had switched to NCP (SCP) from NCP in the last week July. When contacted, he termed the FIR registration a political vendetta and asserted that the suicide note was planted on the victim’s body.
“Kamble had been my loyalist for decades. We gave his son Ajaysingh a ticket and even got him elected as a corporator in the last term. Over a year back, Kamble and his son quit NCP and joined Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde. I visited his house after he underwent surgery two months ago. I not only helped him secure financial assistance from the CMO, but also gave him about Rs 2 lakh from my own pocket,” Durrani told TOI, while demanding a high-level probe into the case.
His supporters also staged a major protest against the registration of the FIR against him in Pathri.
Police said the FIR had been registered at the Pathri police station. Parbhani superintendent of police Ravindrasingh Pardeshi told TOI, “The FIR is based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s son.” The police said the process of collecting evidence substantiating the FIR had begun.