Lt-Col Jha's mother alleges harassment by superior

Bhopal, Dec 2 (UNI) Ms Lalita Jha, the mother of Lt Colonel Pankaj Jha who allegedly committed suicide in his unit at 15 Sector Rashtriya Rifles Headquarters at Mahore in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, today alleged that her son took the extreme step following harassment by a senior.

''I demand a high-level inquiry. I want justice. When Pankaj was here for Dussehra, he revealed that an officer was constantly troubling him. I wanted to know the reason for the harassment but he dodged my question by saying, 'Now what shall I say about the offices'. It appears that he was being pressed to do some improper task,'' the distraught lady said here.

Ms Jha said the officer in question did not appreciate anybody's style of functioning and always pointed out lacunae.

''Pankaj was very happy with his family life and desired to make his only daughter Saunjil a dentist. He was no coward but was an honest officer sincere about his duty. There is something behind the curtains and the mystery should be solved,'' she alleged.

The Lt-Colonel's wife Mom Jha was so disturbed that she could only say, ''there was tremendous work pressure on him'' A UNI report from Jammu quoted official sources as saying that Lt-Col Jha shot himself with his service pistol at 1430 hrs yesterday, barely a few hours after returning from here. The Army has ordered an inquiry. The body is likely to reach here tomorrow evening.

It is a cruel coincidence that city-based Lt Sushmita Chakraborty (25), who was attached to the Army Services Corps 5071 Battalion, also allegedly shot herself with a sentry's rifle at Udhampur on June 15.

UNI Team-AC PK RK2035