Noida: Family members of property dealer Pawan Kumar, who was found dead on Jan 15 at a deserted spot, staged a protest outside the GB Nagar collectorate in Surajpur on Saturday.The family members, who belong to Kheda Dharampura village, Chapraula, raised slogans for two hours and left only after senior officials assured police action by Monday.According to his wife, Mamta Devi, Pawan left the house on Jan 14 to meet Shyam Sundar Sharma, also a resident of Khera Dharmapuri village, to collect some money that Sharma owed him, but did not return and was found dead near a deserted spot on Jan 15.A complaint was filed against five people at the Badalpur police station. Mamta claimed that complaints were made to the police, senior officials, and authorities in Lucknow to register a case of murder, but officials said that her husband committed suicide.Mamta claimed that a woman named Hemlata confessed to conspiring to murder Pawan.Hema Yadav, Pawan’s sister, alleged that after recovering her brother’s remains, the police declared them unidentified and took custody, dismissing the fact that Pawan’s son had recognised the body.Formal identification occurred only after her mother, Birma Devi, staged a protest at the police station. Furthermore, she said the family was prevented from video-recording the remains at the site.Ajab Singh, Pawan’s father, alleged that he even visited the Lucknow CM office, DGP, and minister for action. However, so far, only one woman has been arrested in the case.Badalpur police registered an FIR in the case under section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. However, the accused woman, Hemlata, was sent to jail after being remanded under section 108 (abetment of suicide), claimed Ajab Singh.It is also claimed that before the incident, a threat was received on Pawan’s phone from property dealer Rakesh Sharma, another accused in the case. However, Sharma apologised after the incident.DCP Shakti Mohan Awasthi assured action and said the matter will be investigated properly.
