UP Police Files FIR Against 18 People Over Arms Dealer's Suicide

A day after an arms dealer shot himself dead while live streaming the incident on Facebook, police on Thursday lodged an FIR against 18 people in connection with the suicide.

Police sources said here that arms dealer Nand Lal Gupta (45) died by suicide by shooting himself in his shop on Railway Station Road on Wednesday afternoon.

Gupta, owner of a gun shop, did a 'Facebook Live' before taking the extreme step.

In the video, Gupta is heard saying that moneylenders are unnecessarily harassing him. He said he had returned more money than he had borrowed from them.

Gupta also said in the 'Facebook Live' video that moneylenders had also got his house in their name and that he did not want to live anymore.

Before shooting himself in the head with a pistol, the dealer appealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath bless his family and children.

Police said that based on the complaint of Gupta's wife Moni, an FIR was lodged under sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against 13 named and five unidentified accused.

SHO Rajeev Singh said police are investigating the matter after registering the case. Efforts are being made to arrest the accused, he said.

Moni has alleged in the complaint that her husband had taken a loan on interest but had also repaid the dues.

The accused forcibly got the residential land at Baheri in Ballia registered by threatening to kill her husband on January 1.

The accused were demanding money and her husband was under stress because of this and died by suicide.

On the other hand, the accused in the case were associated with BJP leaders on social media. In the pictures being circulated on social media, the accused are seen along with former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Laxmi Kant Bajpai, Transport Minister Daya Shankar Singh and Legislative Council member Ravi Shankar Singh Pappu.

Commenting on the issue, BJP's media in-charge Pankaj Singh said it is true that some of the accused are members of the BJP but they have "no influence in the party neither do they hold any official position".

Meanwhile, state Transport Minister Daya Shankar Singh met the family members of the deceased arms dealer on Thursday and said strict action will be taken against the culprits. Singh said there is a terror of loan sharks in the district which will end soon.