Daljit Singh Jangpur alias Happy Bajwa, a Congress worker from Punjab who was the co-ordinator of Dakha Sports and Cultural Cell, consumed poison and died by suicide on Thursday in Dakha.
Before committing suicide, Bajwa, a resident of Jangpur village in Dakha circulated a 10-minute audio (suicide) note addressed to PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and posted in some WhatsApp groups.
As per reports, Bajwa was fed up with a property dispute and had a police case pending against him. In the audio note, he alleged that his voice was not being heard and that he could no longer bear the atrocities meted out to him by some co-villagers.
What Bajwa said in the audio note
As per The Times of India, Bajwa before ending his life said that he served the party for 30 years but could not even get the atta-dal scheme (a scheme to procure wheat and pulses at a subsidized rate) started for his family. He also alleged that the party did not come to his aid when several false cases were filed against him.
Bajwa was also heard saying that even after four-and-a-half years of Congress rule, no poor family associated with him in his village was benefited by the party. Schemes like atta-dal went to those with good cars and houses (of Akalis).
Despite Congress being in power, the party did not help him get justice when he was falsely accused in an attempt to murder case, the note said.
Bajwa sharing the names of the perpetrators alleged that the Akalis were creating hurdles in acquiring a land he had purchased. He also hinted that the accused were getting ready to file another false case against him.
Ending his note, Bajwa requested the PPCC president to take care of his family. He also said that now that Sidhu has been appointed as the new chief, their voices might be heard.
Want to be a Congressman again
Despite complaints, Bajwa in his audio allegedly said that if he gets another life he would want to become a Congress worker again. He said he toiled hard for the party, campaigned for Congress in many states including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
He had also worked in the by-poll elections of his constituency. Dedicating his life to the party, Bajwa had decided to not get married.
Congress and Akali Dal refute allegations
As soon as the audio clip went viral, political secretary to chief minister Captain Sandeep Sandhu, who contested elections from Dakha constituency claimed that Bajwa blamed the Akali Dal workers who ruined his life and not the Congress party. He just requested the party to take care of his family, he added.
On the other hand, Akali leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali too refuted the allegations and said that Bajwa was himself involved in wrongdoings.
Police arrests the accused named by Bajwa
Reports suggest that Bajwa on Thursday went to a nearby village on a tractor and consumed sulphas. When found unconscious Bajwa was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed.
On the complaint of Bajwa’s brother, police booked three co-villagers Pritam Singh, his nephew Baljinder Singh and Panch Manjinder Singh for abetting suicide. The three were accused of harassing Bajwa following a property dispute.
Two accused of which one is an elected member of the panchayat have been arrested by the police. The third is on a run and a manhunt has been launched to arrest him.
Dismissing the possibility of a political rivalry, DSP Gurbans Bains said, “As of now, we are investigating as per the victim’s brother’s statement who named the three men. The authenticity of the WhatsApp audio recording needs to be verified and we are not counting on that as of now.”
Navjot Singh Sidhu visits Bajwa’s family
Reportedly, Sidhu visited Bajwa’s house and announced an immediate grant of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased. He also assured the family that he will always stand rock-solid in support of the family.
Sidhu had also demanded immediate arrest of the accused named by Bajwa in the audio.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also took to Twitter to condole the death of his party worker.
Tragic news of our party worker from Ludhiana district Happy Bajwa committing suicide. Have directed @DGPPunjabPolice to immediately enquire into it and to bring the culprits to book. Anyone found guilty will not be spared.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 29, 2021
“Tragic news of our party worker from Ludhiana district Happy Bajwa committing suicide. Have directed @DGPPunjabPolice to immediately enquire into it and to bring the culprits to book. Anyone found guilty will not be spared,” he tweeted giving assurance.
