Murder of Senior Citizen Shri Anand Swaroop Sharma

Ex Serviceman on Indefinite Fast

5th May, Jaipur

Police empathy and government's inaction has compelled an ex service man to go on indefinite hunger strike in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Yashwant Sharma an ex service man from Indian Navy is on indefinite fast to demand CBI inquiry into investigation of murder of his 77 yr old father Anand Swaroop Sharma who was kidnapped on 20th Jan 2012 and his dead body was found with his throat deeply cut, on 27th Jan 2012 in a partially built room on an empty plot in Pratap Nagar locality of Jaipur; about 20 km away from his residence.

Police made two arrests on the same day. Suspected main conspirator who was a BJP councilor earlier and now deals in property business has been let off by the police overlooking the strong circumstantial evidences against him that are on record and have been communicated to the police repeatedly.

Postmortem report indicated that the old man was tortured for a few days before being murdered. Some ante mortem injuries were also found on his body. He was also found to be kept hungry for a long time before given food just before killing him.

Yashwant has entered into 6th day of his indefinite fast at Jawahar Nagar Road, Jaipur despite several threats he got from various power corners. His condition is deteriorating as his urine sample has started showing ketone bodies. Attending physician is of the view that his kidney may get damaged if he continues his fast for another 48 hours. Police authorities and administration has not responded to his call, yet. Murder of Senior Citizen Shri Anand Swaroop Sharma
 Mr. Yeshwant Prakash who has been on a fast for the past 5 days in Jaipur, I have decided to go on fast to protest against the horrible corruption that I am facing into investigation of murder of my 77 yr old father Shree Anand Swaroop Sharma. He was kidnapped on 20^thJanuary 2012 and his dead body was found with his throat deeply cut, on 27^th Jan 2012 in a partially built room on an empty plot in Pratap Nagar locality of Jaipur about 20 km away from his residence.Abduction was done to persuade him to sell his property which is on a main city road that has turned commercial.Police have arrested two people and blatantly presented a story that is foolish and legally untenable to allow the arrested accused get out of jail as soon as possible.

At the same time suspected main conspirator who was a councillor earlier and now deals in property business has been let off by the police overlooking the strong circumstantial evidences against him that are on record and have been communicated to the police repeatedly.

Post mortem report indicates that the old man was tortured for a few days before being murdered. There are ante mortem injuries found on his body and he was also found to be kept hungry for a long time before given food just before killing him.

There are many other  anomalies, blatant manipulation of evidences and  twisting of facts in the story given by the police

This is a usual way of helping criminals to make money. This is also one of the unstated reason for convictions in the serious criminal cases to be less than 20% in our country. This 20% also mainly comprises of the people who were not resourceful and hence could not influence investigation or those who were falsely implicated by the powerful people.

This is also the way of weakening our society and in turn the country.  The cancer of corruption has spread in all spheres of our society making it un capable of even protecting the people who are dependent on it viz old, children and women. This has happened to the country that was ones known for its valour, ethics  and strong social system.   

Can we ever expect to be developed in true senses with this rot eating away core of living in our country???

I have decided to fight and do my bit.

I have been advised not to fight since the people who are corrupt are powerful and can attack me. I guess it is too late for that advice. While serving in the defence forces for 23 yrs, I was advised by the same society not to show my back to the people who attacked our country whatever may be the odds. I have decided to do it through the non violent way since the enemy is within. 

Shri Rahul Gandhi,

General Secretary

Indian National Congress, Delhi

Sub: Murder of Senior Citizen Shri Anand Swaroop Sharma, Age 77 Yrs

Request for CBI Investigation

Dear Sir,

1.         This is to bring to your notice the lack lustre investigations carried out concerning abduction and killing of my father Shri Anand Swarop Sharma. My father retired as office superintendent from Town Planning Department of Rajasthan Government in 1992.

2.         After serving in the Indian Navy for 23 yrs as permanent commission officer I took voluntary retirement in May 2007, primarily to look after my father. My wife, posted in Delhi, is a senior scientist in Defence Research and Development Organistion. My son i.e. grand son of Shri Anand Swaroop Sharma has been commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 2011.

3.         My father stayed with us in Delhi. We left him at our parental house in Jaipur in Oct 2012 for the festivities at the year end and also to grace the marriage in the family in Jan 2012.  

4.         At about 1830 hrs on 20 Jan 2012, Shri Sharma went out from home for his normal evening walk but did not return. Matter was reported at the local Police Station Jawahar Nagar in Jaipur. Police was also informed of people who were suspected and the property issue involved. Police discouraged us from filing FIR for abduction and did not carry out any serious investigations.

5.         On 27^th Jan 2012 police found the body of my father in a partially constructed room on a plot in Pratap Nagar locality of Jaipur about 25 km from his residence. He was brutally murdered by cutting his throat deeply. During Mouka MuayanaPolice officers in consultation with FSL team concluded that the murder had taken place somewhere else and body was dumped at the site (News paper reports enclosed). In the night of 27 Jan, Baldev Singh and his brother Rajender Singh who is the tenant and runs a welding work-shop from the shop owned by my father, were taken in custody. for interrogation.  Baldev Singh was local BJP councillor from 2005 to 2009 and also president of “Unauthorised Construction Removal Committee” during that period and currently deals in property business. No substantial interrogation was done and he was released the next day.Post Mortem report stated that the death had occurred 3 to 5 days prior to the body was found. There are discrepancies in the report and overwriting on the number of days. (Copy enclosed).During initial investigations it was ascertained that Shri Sharma was seen with some people in the Pratap Nagar locality and at some old age home between 20 and 25 Jan. 21.3pt;A newspaper page was found in the pocket of Shri Sharma. Many ads relating to the ladies and sex parlours were tick marked by ACP Naresh Kumar in the news paper(Letter enclosed). An attempt of character assassination of Shri Sharma was made.>After untiring persuasions with higher authorities, on 11 Jan 2011 police arrested Rajender Singh, the tenant in the shop owned by Shri Sharma and a Dev Kishan for the murder. 

11.      Following emerged from the press conference conducted by the police:-

a.     Rajender Singh gave contract of killing Shri Sharma to Dev Kishan for an amount of Rs 1 Lac .

b.    At about 1845 on 20^th Jan 2012, Dev Kishan took Shri Sharma on his Scooty to Pratap Nagar (about 25 Km from the residence of shri Sharma) made him have liquor and thereafter  took him to the site and cut his throat.  He went back on Scooty and left the weapon at home and thereafter went to the shop of Rajender Singh and took Rs 6000 from him.

c.     Police recovered knife used for murder, clothes and Scooty at the instance of Dev Kishan.

12.     Detection of Body. As per the version by the accused, if he kidnapped and killed Shri Sharma on 20^th Jan itself the body lying undetected for Seven days is improbable due to following reasons :-

a)    As per police on 27th Jan, some children playing in the vicinity saw the body lying in the partially constructed room and informed people at the nearby tea shop. (There is no tea shop in the immediate vicinity). Why did the children not see the body while playing on previous seven days? There were holidays on 21^st ,22^nd and 26^th Jan 2012.

b)    If the body was lying for seven days, smell emanating from the body would attract animals, if not the people. There was no sign of any animal having approached the body.

c)     Post Mortem Report indicates that the death had occurred 3 to 5 days before, indicating death between 23^rd to 25^th Jan 12. (Copy enclosed) 

d)    Many liquor bottle caps, wrappers of pan masala, gutka etc of different age were found lying in the room. Heaps of stool were also found by the side of the walls in the room where body was and in the adjacent room, indicating people frequented the place regularly.

e)    The room has large opening for windows and doors giving full view of the room to the passers by. There are foot paths passing close by the room indicating people used short cuts to cross the ground in which the room was situated. It has been seen that the children from the adjacent school used these footpaths regularly to cross the ground.   

13.     Transporting Victim. Accused Dev Kishan is of 6 feet height and would weigh about 100 Kg. After sitting himself, there will be hardly any space left on the scooty for him to take a pillion who is 77 yr old and weighs about 70 Kg. Will an old man of that age agree to go with him in such a way on scooty for 25 Kms? It is pertinent to mention that Shri Sharma due to his old age and failing health mostly travelled in car even for short distances. 

14.     Time and Space. Will it be possible for Dev Kishan to take the victim at about 1845 hrs on scooty from near his residence on Jawahar Nagar Road to Pratap Nagar on busy roads for about 25 km , make him have drinks, take him to room, alone kill Shri Sharma by deeply cutting his throat, dispose off the weapon clothes etc, wash himself, return and take money from other accused Rajender Singh at his shop by about 2045 hrs (all within about 2 Hrs)?  

15.     Dev Kishan has no criminal history. With no experience of such a crime will he take the responsibility of executing such a planned murder alone on his own?

16.      Addl DCP Shri Yogesh Dadhich asked for witnesses having seen Devkishan with Shri Sharma in the evening before picking him up and after the crime Dev kishan meeting Rajender at his shop. With his long experience in crime investigations, asking for witnesses for such a version given by the accused that would not stand cross examination by any defence lawyer, is worrying.

17.     Patronage to Accused by Police. On 16 Feb 12, Local news paper Rajasthan Patrika reported that at about 2330 hrs in the night of 15^th Feb 2012, Rajender Singh (main accused of the heinous crime) was sleeping  in the record room amongst police files. Lock up was empty and the policemen on duty at the police station had no answer for the whereabouts of the second accused Dev Kishan. (News paper report attached).

18.     Accused were kept in the police custody for 07 days. No further information other than the initial information provided by the accused on 11^th Feb 2012 could be derived by the police (Investigation Report enclosed). Despite discrepancies in investigation and contradictions in statement of accused, no further police custody of the accused was obtained despite 15 days police custody allowed. On 19 Feb 2012 both accused were sent to the judicial custody.

19.     Due to serious anomalies in the investigations so far carried out, manipulation of crucial evidences, failure to draw any further information from the accused, patronage provided to the accused during police custody and not asking for further custody despite many discrepancies in the statement by accused, it is obvious that police is hand in gloves with the people who are not letting the complete truth come out. Local political and monitory influence of Ex BJP councillor Baldev Singh, is obvious in preventing fair and serious investigations to avoid exposure of his own involvement in the crime.

  

20.      Therefore it is requested that the case be handed over to the CBI to bring out the complete truth, bring all culprits involved to the justice, instil confidence in the society towards law and order and arrest deterioration of Indian society. A fair investigation and conviction of the real culprits will also help in bringing up the flagging moral of the defence personnel   due to such serious problems faced by their families in the society.