AHMEDABAD: An election officer in Gujarat's Umargam reportedly died by suicide after jumping in front of a moving train on Monday, allegedly due to political and administrative pressure ahead of the local body elections in the state.
The remains of Umargam Mamlatdar, DC Brahmankachhe, were found mutilated between electric poles 14 and 16 in the Umargam railway station. Railway Police and local authorities sealed the site, recorded the panchnama, and launched an investigation.
Brahmankachhe went to work on Monday, the last day of form verification process for local body elections, and left the office around 11.40 pm.
According to local political sources, Brahmankachhe was under intense pressure from “higher-ups” to cancel the nomination form of an independent candidate from the Sarigam seat at any cost. But legally, there was no ground to reject the form.
"He was trapped like a man surrounded by fire with no escape,” a local leader remarked.
Gujarat Congress President Amit Chavda launched a sharp attack on the state BJP, saying, “This is not just a suicide, it is institutional murder”.
Chavda claimed, “The Mamlatdar was under immense pressure from BJP leaders to cancel a valid nomination. When he refused, he was threatened with job loss and forced retirement. That harassment pushed him to death.”
Chavda added, “Some officials are acting like BJP workers in disguise. Police are threatening candidates at their homes. Nomination forms are being wrongly rejected. This is not democracy, this is coercion.”
Meanwhile, the administration remained cautious, with no official confirmation yet on whether the suicide was under any political pressure and whether a suicide note was recovered.
There are growing demands to scrutinise Brahmankachhe's call records in the last 48 hours, WhatsApp chats, and digital footprint clues that could give any lead for the investigation.