Retd MSEDCL official dies by suicide, builder-son booked for abetment

Pune: The Baner police on Saturday filed a case against a builder and his son on the charge of abetting the suicide of a retired MSEDCL officer (69) on Feb 16 at the builder's newly constructed multi-storied housing project site in Balewadi."Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, who hailed from Thane, jumped to his death from the 7th floor of a building at the project site," an officer from the Baner police said. The victim's family was in a state of mourning, but had informed the police that they would lodge a complaint soon, the officer said. "On Saturday, the victim's son (41) lodged a complaint with the police naming the builder and his son on the basis of a note purportedly written by the victim and was found in the victim's pocket," senior inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant of Baner police told TOI. "We had initially registered an accidental death report. In the note, the deceased has blamed the builder for his death. However, the note does not specify the exact nature of the dispute," Sawant said.Sawant said, "The victim had purchased a five-guntha plot in Baner several years ago. Before the Covid-19 lockdown, the builder had bought the plots adjacent to his land. The deceased later handed over his plot to the builder for development.""An agreement was executed between them and a registered MoU was signed. The builder had promised him 11 flats, two parking spaces and certain monthly payments. Subsequently, a dispute arose between the deceased and the builder over delays in construction and other issues," Sawant added."The victim came to Balewadi from Thane and allegedly jumped from the seventh floor on Feb 16. The building is open and many people visit the site to view the flats," he added.