Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, February 8
The 26-years-old Navyman, Suraj Kumar Dubey, who was declared dead at INHS, Naval hospital Aswini in Mumbai on Saturday was cremated with full military honours at his native village Chainpur in Palamu of Jharkhand on Monday.
Earlier, his body was brought to Ranchi airport from Mumbai, where officers and jawans of the Army paid floral wreaths before the body was taken to his ancestral house by road.
Large number of people, including public health engineering department minister Mithilesh Thakur, locals MLAs, Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Alok Chaurasiya participated in the funeral procession. A candle light procession was organised from Redma chowk to Police stadium. Participants demanded a CBI probe into the kidnapping and later murder of the Navy man.
BJP MP from Palamu and former director general of Jharkhand Police Vishnu Dayal Ram said he had written a letter to the Defence Ministers Rajnath Singh suggesting CBI investigation into the entire incident as Dubey was kidnapped by armed men at Chennai airport, kept in Chennai for three days, taken to the jungles of Palghar 1500 kms away and set on fire.
Indian Navy had issued a statement saying Dubey who was discharged from the unit-INS Agrani was found with 90 per cent burns on February 5 at Palghar. He was taken to INHS Aswini, Mumbai, where doctors declared him dead on Saturday.
Palghar SP had informed Dubey’s family that following receipt of information of a burning body in Gholwad jungles, police went there and brought him to Mumbai. He told the family that 10 teams of officers were investigating the case.
Mithilesh Dubey, father of Suraj, said his son had left to join his duties at Coimbatore on January 30 morning from Ranchi. His son’s mobile was in connection mode till 9.15 pm at Chennai airport. After night, there was no link between the son and the father.
He said he went to Chainpur police station to lodge a complaint about his missing son, but the police refused to entertain saying since the incident took place at Chennai, only Chennai police can register his complaint. Then, he sent his son-in-law Amrendra Tiwary to Chennai. However, he also returned disappointed as Chennai police said since the navy man was from Palamu, an FIR could be registered there only.
Suraj was kidnapped by three people, including one with a gun outside Chennai airport. He was pushed into a waiting SUV and kept in Chennai for three days. Ransom of Rs 10 lakh was demanded from his family.
Later, he was taken to Palghar,1500 kms away from Chennai and set on fire, according to his dying declaration recorded by the police.
Suraj’s father said as his son exited from Chennai airport, he was kidnapped only for ransom. He regretted that neither Palamu police nor Chennai police acted on his complaints.
Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Godda-Deoghar constituency too joined the campaign for CBI probe as the crime was committed in two different states in phases.
