Sehore: A businessman and his wife were found dead in their home in the Ashta area here in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, police said. The incident comes just two days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at their properties in the state.
The couple’s death, which police suspect to be a case of suicide, has sparked political controversy in Madhya Pradesh with Congress party accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies for harassment.
ED’s raid
On December 5, ED raided the deceased Manoj Parmar’s residence in Shanti Nagar, Ashta, and four other properties in Indore and seized Rs 3.5 lakh in cash and documents under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was linked to a 2017 Punjab National Bank fraud case involving fake loans worth Rs 6 crore.
Political Allegations
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that ED targeted Parmar because he supported the Congress during the elections. Singh claimed that Parmar was targeted and harassed as his children had gifted a piggy bank to Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
आष्टा सिहोर जिला मप्र के मनोज परमार को बिना कारण ED द्वारा परेशान किया जा रहा था। मनोज परमार के बच्चों ने राहुल जी को भारत जोड़ो यात्रा के समय गुल्लक भेंट की थी। मनोज के घर पर ED के Astt Director भोपाल संजीत कुमार साहू द्वारा रेड की गई थी। मनोज अनुसार उस पर रेड इसलिए डाली गई…
— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) December 13, 2024
“According to Manoj, the raid was conducted on him because he is a supporter of @INCIndia. I had also arranged for a lawyer for Manoj. But it is with great sadness that I have to say that Manoj was so scared that today he and his wife committed suicide this morning,” he wrote and demanded an impartial probe.
State Congress chief Jitu Patwari described the deaths as “state-sponsored murder.” “This tragedy exposes the misuse of central agencies under BJP’s pressure. The children claim their family was coerced into joining the BJP,” he said during his visit to Ashta.
मैं दुर्भावना से भरी इस राजनीतिक कार्रवाई का विरोध करने आष्टा पहुंच रहा हूं! फिर दोहरा रहा हूं कि सीहोर जिले का आष्टा ED के आतंक का नया अड्डा बनकर सामने आया है!
— Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari (@jitupatwari) December 13, 2024
श्री मनोज परमार जी और उनकी पत्नी ने आत्महत्या नहीं की है! @BJP4India के दबाव में उनकी " सरकारी-हत्या" हुई है!… https://t.co/feFfIa5A95
Police Investigation
Sehore SP Deepak Shukla confirmed the incident, stating, “We received information about the couple’s death on Friday morning. Forensic and technical teams are investigating. The exact reasons behind the deaths will be clear after statements from family members.”
Accusations
In 2017, a fraud case involving fake loans surfaced in Punjab National Bank’s Ashta branch and Parmar was named as one of the accused. The case was later handed over to the CBI. Recently, documents recovered in the recent ED raids allegedly suggested unaccounted properties linked to Parmar, which intensified scrutiny.
