Family suspects foul play, Gujarat Police says ‘suicide, prima facie’

Anantnag: A 22-year-old student from Kulgam district was found dead, hanging from a ceiling fan inside his university hostel room in Anand district of Gujarat, Sunday morning.
His family, alleging foul play, has demanded an impartial probe even as the Gujarat Police says that the death looks like an incident of suicide, “prima facie”.
The deceased youth has been identified as Sameer Ahmad Thoker, son of Muhammad Shafi Thoker, a resident of Nanibugh village in Kulgam district. Sameer was a post-graduate student of Zoology at Sardar Patel University in Anand district.
The family of Sameer says that they were worried about his well-being after he stopped attending to his calls on Saturday and called a friend of his, living in a nearby city.
“We asked him to check on Sameer, and this morning he called us back saying the hostel room door was closed from within and police have been called to the spot,” Thoker, Sameer’s father, said.
As the door of the room was broken open, Sameer, allegedly, was found hanging from the ceiling fan. His father however was not convinced and said that his son has been murdered.
“He was a tall boy and often told me that his head struck the ceiling fan of his hostel room. How can he commit suicide hanging from that fan?” Thoker asked, while he described his son as a brilliant, hardworking student and not a coward.
Thoker said that his son was made the captain of the volleyball team at the university, was the “head” of his class and was a champion at whatever he did. “Maybe that did not go down well with some of the people there and they murdered him,” Thoker said, “Only two days back he had told me that his book is going to be published. I don’t believe he could commit suicide,” Thoker said.
Thoker and his family have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K, in particular, to ensure that a thorough probe is held in this case and the culprits are punished.
Kashmir Reader talked to SP Anand, Makarandbhai Chauhan, about the incident. Chauhan said that the death looks like a suicide. “We have come to know that the boy had a strained relationship with his family back home and maybe that is the reason he took the extreme step,” Chauhan said.
He however said that the police were investigating other angels as well, and waiting for a forensic report. “We are investigating the case thoroughly and we hope that the forensic report will also shed some light,” he said.
Back in Kulgam, hundreds of people thronged the house of the deceased boy and condoled the bereaved family. “It is unfortunate. He was a brilliant young boy, one of the finest in our village. I don’t believe he can commit suicide. It should be thoroughly probed,” a neighbour of the family, told Kashmir Reader.

Suhail A Shah