Janjgir-Champa, March 14 A 25-year-old man allegedly committed suicide in the Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh after receiving a threatening phone call from a man posing as a police officer, an official said on Sunday.
The victim was identified as Sanat Kumar Kashyap, who worked at a truck showroom workshop, and who hanged himself in his rented room in the Urga area on Friday.
"Kashyap killed himself after sending a video to his friends in which he narrated his ordeal. In the video, Kashyap claimed he had received a call purportedly from the Pantora police outpost under the Baloda police station. The call was actually made by Sachin Khare, a driver from Gevra Basti in neighboring Korba district, who was posing as a police officer," the official said.
Khare made this call in connection with his 21-year-old sister eloping with Dhirendra Patle on March 12, the police official said.
"Khare found out that Kashyap was a friend of Patle and believed he might have information about the couple's whereabouts. Khare then called Kashyap from Patle's brother's mobile phone and questioned him, posing as a police officer," the official said.
In a call recording released by the police, Khare can be heard speaking sternly in Chhattisgarhi, asking Kashyap about his identity, workplace, and address, and how long he had been with Patle on Thursday. In the call, Khare threatened Kashyap to appear at the Pantora police outpost "if he wanted to remain safe".
"Kashyap, out of fear and distress, recorded a video detailing the incident and sent it to his friends before ending his life. Since the phone conversation was recorded, it helped the police identify Khare, who was arrested and has confessed to the crime," the official said.
Khare has been booked under section 204 (personating a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he added.