Officials, staff booked in Uttar Pradesh PCS officer's suicide case

Several close aides of PCS officer Manimanjari Rai were arrested in a case of abetment of suicide after she was found hanging at her residence. The family of the victim has accused some officials of forging her signature and forcing her to allow unlawful activities which she denied.

Ballia: A day after PCS officer Manimanjari Rai, 30, was found hanging in her house in Ballia, the Maniyar Nagar Panchayat (MNP) chairman Bhim Gupta, tax clerk Vinod Singh, computer operator Akhilesh, executive officer Sikandarpur Sanjay Rao, a driver and some unidentified persons have been booked in a case of abetment of suicide at the Kotwali police station.

Manimanjari Rai was found hanging at her residence on Tuesday and her family suspected foul play. Kotwali Inspector Vipin Singh said Vijayanand Rai, brother of the deceased officer, had filed a complaint after which FIR was lodged under Section 306 of IPC. In his complaint, Rai alleged that MNP chairman Bhim Gupta, some contractors and office employees were pressuring Manimanjari Rai to adopt unfair means in allotting contracts of development works and payments.

"As my sister opposed them, these people were unhappy with her. Feeling the pressure, Manimanjari met the District Magistrate and requested him to attach her with the district headquarters. However, when she resumed the charge after three months, she came to know that many payments had been made by forging her signature," alleged Rai.

"Tenders had to be floated for development work of Rs 2 crores, but the MNP board did not pass a proposal in this regard and the tender process could not be initiated. However, the chairman prepared proposals for 35 works and started pressuring her to issue orders for their execution without following a tender process. Of these, 18 were given to one contractor," he stated. When she complained to the District Magistrate Hari Pratap Shahi in this regard, Executive Officer Sikandarpur Sanjay Rao also started pressurising her in the favour of the chairman.

The officer's brother further alleged that Manmanjri's driver also helped the chairman and his men. Many anonymous calls were made to Manmanjari to pressurise her.

"The chairman and his accomplices put intense pressure on her. She was subjected to excessive harassment that compelled her to commit suicide," he alleged. He has demanded action against those responsible for compelling her to end her life. Manmanjari was posted as executive officer of the MNP in 2018. It was her first posting.

IANS report