A Dalit man with over 20 years of service in the Rajasthan police allegedly died by suicide in Jaipur on Thursday, prompting protests by Dalit rights groups. The officer, Babu Lal Bairwa, reportedly left his home on the morning of August 22 to report to duty at the Bhankrota police station but was later found hanging in a police outpost.
Bairwa’s family was informed by his police colleagues that he had posted a suicide note in their WhatsApp group, alerting them to the tragic event.
Tanuj, Bairwa’s son, was quoted in local media reports, as saying, “A fellow officer called us to say that my father had posted a suicide note in their WhatsApp group and they are currently searching for him. Later, they discovered that he had hanged himself inside the police outpost.”
In his suicide note, Babu Lal Bairwa addressed his son, urging him to stay strong, while expressing his despair and acknowledging that he could no longer endure his circumstances. He accused three police officers and a journalist of harassment, claiming they targeted him after his suspension last year, which stemmed from a land dispute. Bairwa believed he was unfairly singled out and mistreated by these individuals.
Following his death, Bairwa’s son filed an FIR, alleging that ACP Anil Sharma, Additional SP Jagdish Vyas, Sub-Inspector Aashutosh Singh, and journalist Kamal Degda had subjected his father to immense mental stress. The family is demanding the arrest of the named officials and journalists, as well as a job for a family member.
Protests by Dalit activists outside the SMS Hospital mortuary have entered their fourth day, with Bairwa’s wife, Meena Devi, and son, Tanuj, releasing a video warning against conducting a post-mortem without their consent. Meanwhile, Jaipur police have assigned the investigation to a senior official and are scrutinizing the contents of Bairwa’s six-page suicide note.
The note details Bairwa’s ordeal, which began with a land dispute case at Bhankrota police station on August 8, 2023. Following the incident, Bairwa and other officers were suspended, a decision that led to significant personal and social repercussions for him. Reinstated in January and transferred to the Crime Branch, Bairwa had been finalizing his duties at Bhankrota police station before taking his life on Thursday. In his note, Bairwa requested a CBI investigation into the cases related to his suspension, as well as the release of his pending salary and a job for his son.
Efforts to mediate by retired Additional SP and former General Secretary of the Ambedkar Welfare Society, Anil Gothwal, have so far failed, as the family and activists insist on immediate arrests.
