Madhya Pradesh couple die by suicide, leave Rahul Gandhi note
A suicide note left by a Madhya Pradesh couple has triggered a political row. Manoj Parmar and his wife Neha were found dead in their Sehore home on Friday. In the note, the couple accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of harassment. They also appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to protect their children who had supported his "Bharat Jodo Yatra."
Police confirm receipt of suicide note
Sub-divisional officer of police Akash Amalkar confirmed they received the suicide note, which was submitted in the form of an application. The note is addressed to several leaders, including the president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but specifically asks Gandhi to take care of Parmar's family. Before their deaths, the ED had conducted searches at their properties in Sehore and Indore on December 5. Parmar was under investigation in an alleged ₹ 6 crore fraud involving Punjab National Bank.
ED raids and ongoing investigation into bank fraud case
During the searches, officers confiscated documents linked to movable and immovable properties and frozen bank account containing ₹3.5 lakh, per NDTV. Parmar was arrested shortly after, and he had apparently been under stress since. The ED's investigation is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR against Parmar and a PNB branch manager for allegedly misappropriating ₹6 crore loans under government schemes. These monies were allegedly routed to proprietorship businesses or firms before being withdrawn in cash for property investment.
Congress alleges 'state-sponsored murder'
The incident has sparked a political row with Congress state president Jitu Patwari accusing the deaths of being a "state-sponsored murder" and not suicide. He alleged the ED was used to blackmail leaders into joining the BJP. Former state Chief Minister Kamal Nath also repeated these allegations on social media, adding the couple's only crime was supporting Gandhi's yatra with a piggy bank gift.
BJP condemns Congress's remarks as politically motivated
The BJP has condemned the Congress's remarks, calling them politically motivated. BJP media in-charge Ashish Agrawal criticized the Congress for exploiting the tragedy for personal gain. "Doing politics over death is the old vulture-like character of Congressmen! The suicide of anyone is sad, but Congressmen misuse it only to further their personal interests," Agrawal said in a statement.
