Just like the death of the father in the Unnao rape case in UP, the Preeti Raghuvanshi suicide case in Madhya Pradesh has presented a twist with the brother of Preeti being reported as missing.
The family members of Preeti Raghuvanshi, daughter-in-law of PWD minister Rampal Singh, have approached the police with a complaint that her brother, Deepak Raghuvanshi, has been missing for a week.
Preeti's family members approached the Udaypura police station on Monday evening stating that Deepak had not returned home after visiting the police station to record his statement on April 7.
Police have recorded the statements of Preeti's family members in the case but they are yet to register an FIR. Girijesh Pratap Singh, son of Rampal Singh and who was married to Preeti, has not turned up to record his statement. Deepak's family members have alleged that police were not registering their missing report.
Meanwhile, Deepak Raguvanshi had filed an application in Bhopal district court to register an FIR against the minister and his son in the case for abetment to suicide.
On March 16, Preeti hanged herself after learning that her husband Girijesh was planning to marry another girl. Girijesh had married Preeti, who used to live in the opposite house, in a temple of Arya Samaj at Nehru Nagar in Bhopal on June 20 last year. The marriage was performed under Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937. A certificate was issued after the marriage, which was solemnised in the presence of Neeraj Raghuvanshi, Preeti's brother, and several friends of Girijesh.
Minister Rampal, however, refused to accept the marriage and rejected the claim of Preeti's family that she was his daughter-in-law. Police recovered a suicide note alongside the Preeti's body. In the note she apologised to her parents for marrying the minister’s son and sought forgiveness from them. Preeti was upset that her husband was marrying another woman.
Meanwhile, Police Sub-Divisional Officer Rajaram Sahu told media that Deepak had come to Udaypura police station saying that he was going away from his home on his own free will. According to the police, Deepak said that he does not want to return home.
However, Chandan Singh Raghuvanshi, father of Preeti, said that his son was made to drink liquor forcibly and held captive. Chandan Singh, who used to work as an ambulance driver in the government hospital, said that the minister had been pushing him to get Preeti married to someone else and even offered the family money.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress had launched a statewide Nyaya Yatra (justice yatra) seeking justice for Preeti Raghuvanshi.