CHAKWAL: A man allegedly committed suicide but his relatives as well as the police are declaring it “natural” despite the fact that a two-page suicide note was found along with the body.

The suicide note was first found by the Rescue 1122 personnel who handed it over to the police.

On Thursday noon, Rescue 1122 received a call about the critical condition of Asim Qadoos, 49, a resident of Mulhal Mughlan village. When a team reached the scene, Qadoos was lying dead in a field.

Sources in Rescue 1122 and police also confirmed to Dawn that a suicide note was found. However, relatives of the deceased and police officials termed the death natural. Hence, no autopsy was conducted.

“I Asim Qadoos with full senses declare it on oath that I am going to commit suicide” due to social injustices, getting fed up of domestic circumstances, unable to find work, maltreatment of relatives and jeering and mocking by his wife.

“But the biggest factor which became the cause of my death is a man and his wife from Sangwali village who not only grabbed my land but also filed cases against me,” he said, adding the couple bought a piece of land from him three years ago whose value was of Rs960,000 but they only paid him Rs375,000 that too three years ago.

He appealed to the concerned authorities to bring the couple to book and ensure his children retrieved their land.

When contacted, In-charge Police Post Mulhal Mughlan Sultan Sikandar claimed that Qadoos had died a natural death.

When his attention was drawn towards the suicide note, he expressed his ignorance stating that he did not find any suicide note. “Had the relatives registered a complaint I would have proceeded as per law,” he said.

A senior lawyer in Chakwal, while talking to Dawn, said the cause of any death with question mark must be ascertained.

“It is the duty of the state to determine the cause of any death whose cause is doubtful,” the lawyer said.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2024