Sujay Gupta
In his home in a woody, deserted part of Gogol a little ahead of the Anil Salgaocar residence, there is absolute and palpable disbelief, that the man of the house had hanged himself. The newspapers seemed to be telling a lie because his wife who woke him up each morning, and his son and his friends knew him as a character who could very well be an antidote to any one with suicidal tendencies.
Garrulous in his ways and dapper in his speech and deportment, the boy from Kakoda in Curchorem, underwent a complete transformation, struggling through early life, brought up by a single mother, playing in the fields and the roads, to secure a steady government job which saw him go up the ranks. He was easily the most urbane of engineers, a bit of a charmer, (known for his fondness for green tea which he used to offer to some visitors) who managed, above all else to keep some sanity in the system and in his division IX Water Resources Department of the PWD, easily the biggest cash cow of all the departments, primarily because of its pan Goa footprint.
Those who know, and others who have worked with him and know him closely, people Herald met and spoke to at length and in confidence, made an incisive case for a neutral criminal investigation, which sadly may have already been compromised as the police quickly assumed this to be a case of suicide without keeping other angles open.
And the initial parking of information makes it appalling, that this can be concluded as a suicide, at least at this stage. Here’s why:
1. There was absolutely no sign of any depression or of anything amiss at any point of time. He had not even once mentioned to either his wife or anyone else of any inquiry or any other kind of pressure
2. He was his usual friendly self during his morning walk on Saturday, greeting friends and wishing those he had not met for sometime Happy New Year
3. His Facebook posts have been positive and friendly
4. He was extremely proud of his son getting admission in a college in the US, and told everyone how he was looking forward to him doing well there.
5. After his wife left for the higher secondary school, where she is a lecturer and his son too went out, he dressed up to go to the temple. This was just before he was found hanging
6 .His family confirmed to one very close family friend, who confided this to Herald, that the nylon rope used to “hang himself” was definitely not from the house
7. The nylon rope was tied around his neck seven or eight times
8. Most importantly the doors of the house were open, including the room where he was found hanging. The maid was the only one in the house apart from his mother who is hardly mobile.
The Margao police needs to confirm whether each of the angles have been pursued and relevant questions asked and relevant people including the maid questioned. More importantly, forensic investigation including a finger print check on the nylon ropes and around the house is critical to rule out an alien presence.
This assumes greater significance in the wake of the incomplete and shoddy probe into the alleged suicide of Kiran Godbole, assistant engineer in the Water Resources department. The police announced a “deeper probe” in the circumstances leading to his death, which happened hours after he spoke to the Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar.
The Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar was quick to come to the rescue of the MLA saying “MLA’s sometimes scold engineers if their work is not done. That doesn’t mean they commit suicide because of this”. He reportedly made even more insensitive comments like, “People wanted to beat him once in my presence (apparently because of no water supply or some such non event) and I pleaded to them not to beat him at least in front of me.”
Fatarpekar’s death and Godbole’s have uncanny similarities. Both died on a Saturday and both “hanged themselves” with absolutely similar nylon ropes. Godbole though, was found hanging in his office minutes after he called home to tell him wife he was coming home.
Between these two suicides, there lies a hidden tale. These cannot be closed cases and a state sponsored hushing up should be exposed and the truth unveiled.
A TALE OF TWO SUICIDES
KIRAN GODBOLE, Asst Engineer Water Resources Dept (55)
Date of death: September 27, 2014, Saturday
Place: In office. Found hanging in office at 9 pm
Resident of: Arlem
Events immediately prior to body being found: Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar called him earlier in the day in connection with a job that was incomplete. In the evening Godbole called his wife to tell her he was coming home, but never did. Found hanging with a nylon rope around his neck.
Important points to note: Sources state that he feared for the safety of his family constantly and never left them alone. Was paranoid about their safety and felt that they would be under some attack. This has not been investigated even once. No suicide note found.
PRAVIN FATARPEKAR, Executive Engineer, Division IX, PWD (54)
Date of death: January 3, 2015, Saturday
Place: At his residence, found hanging in his room around 11 am
Resident of: Gogol, Margao
Events immediately prior to body being found: Wife, a teacher left for her school, son was also out. Elderly mother and a maid at home. Fatarpekar had dressed to leave for the temple. Maid found him hanging when she went to the room to clean and raised an alarm
Important points to note: Was in a very jovial mood in the morning, joking with fellow morning walkers, his Facebook posts were chirpy, was really happy that his son had secured admission to a college in the US. The main door of the house was open and the nylon rope was viciously tied seven times around his neck. Family sources have confirmed that there was no rope of the kind in the house. No suicide note found.
