Seven arrested for abetment to suicide

Vadodara: Seven persons including three members of Rasulabad village gram panchayat in Waghodiya taluka were arrested for abetting suicide of husband of village’s sarpanch.

Deceased Balvant alias Mukesh Rohit, who was also one of the members of the gram panchayat, had consumed poison on Monday afternoon.

Rohit’s wife Kokila lodged complaint against Mahesh Rao, Hemant Vasava, Nagin Vasava, Bharat Chauhan, Kiran Bhaliya, Vijay Bhatt and Janiya Solanki at Waghodiya police station late on Monday night. She told the police that after she won the sarpanch polls around 18 months back, other members of the gram panchayat and the woman who contested against her were not happy.

Kokila also alleged that Rao, the husband of the woman who contested against her, used to threaten Rohit and her brother-in-law and passed comments against them. She also told the police that on August 2 six members of the gram panchayat introduced a no-confidence motion against her because she was from backward caste. In her complaint she stated that the other accused too started harassing her and her husband because of their caste and make false allegations.

Kokila mentioned in her complaint that because of continuous threat and harassment from them, Rohit left from home on Monday noon saying that he was going to Vadodara and consumed poison on the outskirts of the village. Rohit’s brother found him unconscious and also bottle of poison near his car.

Before Kokila won the sarpanch polls, Rohit served as the sarpanch of the village.