PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Police arrested Dehradun resident and former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Himanshu Chamoli on charges of pushing a Pauri resident Jitendra Kumar (32) into committing suicide. Kumar was from Talasari village in Pauri block and shot himself inside his vehicle on Thursday morning. Before the act, he uploaded a video on social media alleging Chamoli had scammed him of Rs 35 lakh in a land deal. The officials informed that Kumar, along with two friends, had gone to the forest on the night of August 20 with a borrowed gun.
While returning around 4 AM, Kumar sent his phone’s passcode to a friend, apologised and then pulled the trigger. He died on the spot. His friends informed his father, who later alerted the police. The officials said that a forensic team collected the weapon, blood samples and other evidence. The gunshot residue test confirmed firing from Kumar’s hands. During the investigation, police reportedly recovered earlier videos recorded on August 6 and August 18. His phone showed details of a property deal with Chamoli in Ranipokhri, where Kumar had paid Rs 35 lakh.
The officials said that the police found during investigation that Chamoli neither handed over the land nor returned the money. The victim’s repeated attempts to contact him failed, which left him under stress. Police questioned Chamoli, who admitted to the property deal but claimed the settlement did not happen and that he too faced financial loss. The officials informed that based on available evidence, police arrested him and produced him in court on Friday. Further investigation into land documents and bank transactions is underway, as per officials.
