RFO Chavan’s suicide: DyCF Shivkumar held, Addl PCCF Reddy shunted

 

 

VINOD Shivkumar, Deputy Forest Conservator, Gugamal Wildlife Department, Chikhaldara, was arrested by a joint team of Local Crime Branch, Rural Police Department and Dharni Police on Friday, in connection with the suicide of Forest Range Officer Dipali Chavan. He was arrested from Nagpur Railway Station while he was trying to flee to Bengaluru. In an order, Principal Chief Forest Conservator (Forest Force Chief), Nagpur, suspended Vinod Shivkumar and also removed M S Reddy, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Field Director, Melghat Tiger Project, from his post for neglecting her complaints.

 

Meanwhile, when questioned about the tragedy, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that a thorough probe will be conducted into the incident covering all angles and no guilty would be spared.

 

RFO Dipali Chavan had shot herself with her service revolver at her government quarter at Harisal on Thursday late evening. In her four-page suicide note, addressed to M S Reddy, Additional Chief Forest Conservator and Field Director, Melghat Tiger Project, she had accused Shivkumar of harassment. Her note lists series of mental and financial harassment including being verbally abused in front of her staff, being given torturous assignments, no recognition for her work, withholding her salary, sexually coloured remarks, no holidays for meeting family etc. On one assignment, she was made to patrol and walk for three days despite she already informing her superiors that she was pregnant. As a result, she suffered a miscarriage.

 

On Thursday night, Dharni police had registered a case on the basis of the suicide note and started searching for Shivkumar. On Friday, a joint team of Amravati Local Crime Branch and Dharni Police arrested Shivkumar from Nagpur Railway Station at 11 am.

 

Dipali’s body was brought to mortuary at District General Hospital, Amravati, for post mortem on Friday. Soon, a huge crowd gathered along with her relatives demanding action. Shivrai Kulkarni, State Spokeperson of BJP, Nivedita Chaudhary-Dighade, District President along with BJP activists, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Bhim Army, Pathar Sena, Prahar and other social organisations gathered outside the mortuary. Besides Forest officers from Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim and Buldana gathered at mortuary in large numbers. They stage protest on the road and raised slogans demanding arrest of Srinivas Reddy and Vinod Shivkumar. Strong Police bandobast was deployed to avoid untoward incident.

 

Dr Hari Balaji N, Superintendent of Police, also reached to the spot and tried to convince the protestors to withdrew their agitation. As they did not budge, they were detained.

 

Meanwhile Shantabai Chavan, mother of Dipali Chavan, has demanded maximum punishment for Vinod Shivkumar and stern action against all those who destroyed her daughter’s life. Dipali’s relatives present outside the mortuary warned the agitators against politicising the case and asked them to struggle only for get justice for Dipali.