Dead IPS Officer’s Mother Urges PM to Order CBI Probe

The Cyberabad police, investigating the death of 30-year-old trainee IPS officer Manu Mukt Manav who drowned in a swimming pool under suspicious circumstances at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, failed to ferret out the truth, the victim’s family members said in their memorandum to the Prime Minister. Four days after the death of the officer, his 55-year-old mother Kanta Bhardwaj shot off a letter to Prime minisiter, Home Minister and CBI Director to for a thorough probe into the incident. Bhardwaj told Express: “I have been told that the NPA has ordered an internal inquiry and an FIR has been lodged at a local police station. However, I do not trust these investigations. They will not be fair.” Express collected a copy of the letter sent by Bhardwaj. She said in the letter that on August 28, she  received a phone call from NRK Reddy, joint director, NPA, at approximately 1.45 am, informing her that her son had died around 11.30 pm by drowning in a swimming pool on the premises of the (NPA). “To save their skin, the officials may not only tamper with facts, but also influence investigation. I have also heard several contradictory accounts of what happened on the night my son died and I do not know whom to believe. Therefore, I request you to order the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately conduct an independent investigation into the death of an able officer of the Indian Police Service, who was soon to start his career,” Kanta Bhardwaj pleaded with the Prime Minister. Manu Mukt was her only son and his tragic death has devastated the family. “It is not only my loss but also that of the Indian civil services, Himachal Pradesh cadre, your government and the country. While nothing can make up for what I have lost, an honest investigation into what transpired on the night of August 28 will go a long way in giving me some satisfaction. My intention is not to make allegations against anyone, but I want the truth to come out,” she added. The death of an officer should be taken seriously and Manu Mukt deserves justice, she said. Meanwhile, the NPA officials are likely to hand over the postmortem report to Manu Mukt’s family members on September 5.

By Moule Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com