Thane Crime: Assistant sub-inspector booked for Asangaon father-daughter suicide

An undated photo of deceased Vikas Kedare, his wife Monali and their daughter Aarya

The Shahapur police in Thane district, on Wednesday, booked Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) R S Kshirsagar for abetting the suicide of a father-daughter duo. The police said an inquiry has found "some substance" in the family's allegation that the officer harassed the deceased for money. Vikas Suryakant Kedare, 36, killed himself and his 11-year-old daughter Aarya at their flat in Asangaon, under the jurisdiction of Shahapur police station, on March 15. His family and friends had urged the Thane Rural police to conduct an inquiry against Kshirsagar.

After almost a fortnight, the police recorded the statement of the deceased's sister, Shilpa Shirsath, and lodged an FIR. The harassment started after his wife Monali died after consuming poison on August 15 last year. Her family filed a complaint and Vikas and his mother were jailed for abetting her suicide. While Vikas spent four months in prison, his mother was jailed for two months. "Before the FIR was filed against my brother and our mother, Kshirsagar called him and demanded Rs 1.50 lakh, saying the case against him was weak. My brother was shocked, and we had no money to pay. When in jail, my brother told us that our mother was suffering in jail because we didn't give Kshirsagar any money," Shilpa told mid-day.

"Even after they got bail, Kshirsagar demanded money from my brother to return his laptop, and also asked for the papers of the flat he lived in. The officer tried all ways to torture my brother and that led to his suicide," she added. After consistent requests from the family, an inquiry was finally initiated against Kshirsagar. As he was posted at Shahapur police station, Inspector Dinesh Katke, the in-charge of Padgha police station, conducted the inquiry, which concluded that there is "some substance" in the allegations.

"Based on the complaint, we [Shahapur police] have registered an offence against the officer. The family alleges that Vikas and his daughter died by suicide because of monetary demands from the officer. Further probe will reveal more facts," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity. "The offence has been registered under Sections 305 (abetment of suicide of a child) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC, and will be probed by Padgha police henceforth," he added. "This is the first step towards delivering justice to both the deceased. Hope the culprit gets the punishment he deserves," said Shivaji Ragade, a friend of Vikas.