Banker's suicide: Statements of victim's wife, bank officials recorded

Special investigation team (SIT), inquiring into the suicide case of Punjab National Bank's chief manager Ajay Sehgal (51), recorded the statements of the victim's wife and three bank officials on Thursday.

Sehgal jumped before a speeding train on July 2. In his suicide note, he had alleged that due to harassment caused by the bank's field general manager JK Gupta and circle head AK Gupta, he chose to end his life.

On Thursday, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Kalka Purnima Singh recorded statements of the victim's wife Rama Sehgal. Rama said, on the incident day, the couple had not talked to each other much. But she confirmed that Ajay had been harassed by the accused during a meet on April 22 and her husband had talked to her about it.

Statement of Naresh Kumar Puri, Ajay's brother-in-law, was also recorded. Puri also talked about harassment the victim faced in the April-22 meeting, and also informed that Ajay wanted to go on leave from June 16 to 21, which was later got cancelled.

The ACP also went to the Sector-20 branch of PNB where the victim used to work and recorded statements of some bank officials.

"We took into possession the specimen handwriting of the victim. To know, whether Ajay was being pressurised for sanction of any loans, we need to take some files into possession. The files are presently lying at the circle office,"said the ACP.

Mahinder Grover, senior manager, who was immediate junior to the victim, told the police that Sehgal was down to earth and humble. He used to come by foot to the office. Even, in absence of cashier, Sehgal used to sit at his place so that work do not suffer, Grover told the police.
The police are likely to record statement of the victim's landlord, some bank customers and bank officials soon.

As AK Gupta and JK Gupta have applied for anticipatory bail, so notices to join investigations have not been issued to them.

The notice to the police for reply has been issued for July 14. While notices have been issued to 12 officials to join investigations who were present during the July-2 meeting where Sehgal was allegedly pulled up and following which he committed suicide.