Chhattisgarh ex-minister Mohammad Akbar booked for abetting suicide of teacher

The Chhattisgarh police have booked senior Congress leader and former minister Mohammad Akbar for alleged abetment of suicide of a government teacher of Balod district, officials said.
Four others –Madaar Khan, Harendra Netam, Pradeep Thakur and Saleem Khan – were also booked under sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Dondi police station, officials said.
Meanwhile, Akbar in a statement to the media claimed the case against him is false and fabricated.
Balod additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ashok Kumar Joshi said that the teacher died by suicide on September 4.
“A suicide note recovered from his pocket named former minister Akbar and other accused. Thakur wrote that the accused took money but did not provide the promised job nor did they refund the amount,” the ASP said.
“We have registered a case on the basis of the suicide note and investigation will continue,” the ASP added.
Meanwhile, a sperate FIR was registered on Sunday in which Madar Khan alias Saleem Khan, Harendra Netam and Pradip Thakur were booked for allegedly duping people on the pretext of getting them jobs in the forest department during the previous Congress government.
They have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention).
“As per the complaint, in 2022 (when state was ruled by the Congress) an advertisement was released for recruitment of forest guard and other posts in the state’s Forest Department. Singh has claimed he gave ₹4.70 lakh to Netam, Khan and Pradeep Thakur through the teacher for getting recruited as forest guards,” the FIR stated.
The FIR also stated that around 70 other people cumulatively gave ₹3.70 crore to these persons for the job.
The FIR claimed that Khan had introduced himself as a relative of Akbar, then forest minister in the Bhupesh Baghel government, to the aspirants. When aspirants did not get jobs, they sought their money back, but the three accused allegedly refused to return the money. The teacher apparently died by suicide due to the same issue, it added.
Meanwhile, Akbar speaking to media claimed that the case against him is false and fabricated.
“I do not know three other accused and have no links with them,” he said.