Kartik Popli, the 27-year-old son of Punjab IAS officer Sanjay Popli, died of a gunshot wound in his head on Saturday, June 25. Sanjay Popli was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau last week under allegations of corruption. Sanjay Popli had been taken for a four-day police remand. The vigilance team had reached Sanjay Popli's residence for another enquiry as his remand was coming to an end on Saturday.
Chandigarh SSP Kuldeep Chahal said Saturday that the vigilance team reached Sanjay Popli's house for enquiry and heard a gunshot, news agency ANI reported. The team realised, after verification, that Kartik Popli had killed himself with his licensed gun, Chahal said. After this, he was shifted to the hospital, the UT SSP added.
However, Kartik's family members have alleged foul play by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. They have alleged that the vigilance team murdered him. Anu Preet Kular, a relative of Sanjay Popli, told news agency ANI that the vigilance team asked Sanjay Popli to sign on something, otherwise it will not be good for his son. She added that the team locked Sanjay Popli in a room and took his son upstairs. "We were standing downstairs and after some time we heard the sound of a gun. Vigilance people murdered him," she said.
Kartik Popli's mother alleged that the vigilance team "tortured" her son and killed him. "They tortured my child and killed him. They tortured my domestic help for evidence. The entire vigilance bureau and the DSP are under the pressure from the Chief Minister. This is the way they are killing people," Kartik's mother said.
Ajay Kumar, DSP, Punjab Vigilance Bureau, has denied the allegations made by Kartik's family. He said it is a matter of investigation and called the allegations "baseless". "It is a matter of investigation. But these allegations are baseless. We just went there to make a recovery of items. We didn't even step inside the house. We only learnt about the incident later on," Ajay Kumar said.
Partap Singh Bajwa, Leader of the Opposition, Punjab called the death of Kartik Popli too "sensitive a situation". "We watched the videos of the victim's mother and came here to look at the situation on humanitarian grounds as it is too sensitive a situation. Our party will come up with a statement on the incident in a while".
On June 25, the Vigilance Department of Punjab recovered over 12 kilograms of gold, three kilograms of silver, and gadgets from Sanjay Popli's residence in Chandigarh.
"Four days after the arrest of IAS officer Sanjay Popli in the corruption case, the Vigilance Bureau on Saturday recovered over 12 kg gold, 3kg silver, four Apple iPhones, one Samsung fold phone and two Samsung smartwatches from the storeroom of his house at Sector 11, Chandigarh," the Vigilance Department release stated.
Sanjay Popli was arrested on June 20, for allegedly demanding a bribe in exchange for clearance of tenders for laying of a sewerage pipeline in Nawanshahr.