Date:04/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/04/stories/2007050415811300.htm

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National

High drama near PM's residence

Devesh K. Pandey

Property dealer shoots himself after discord with wife

Police recover pistol, cash from car

Property dealer's wife has lodged a complaint against him

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

TENSE MOMENTS: Police personnel outside the Delhi Race Club near the Prime Minister's residence on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: It was high drama outside the Prime Minister's 7 Race Course Road residence here on Thursday. A 42-year-old property dealer allegedly shot himself inside his car in an apparent suicide bid. He took the extreme step because of his wife's suspected illicit love affair.

Around 2-30 p.m. a Maruti Zen came to a halt near the Jaipur Polo Ground opposite the Prime Minister's residence on Kamal Ataturk Marg and a profusely bleeding man emerged from it. He locked up the car, walked up to a youth standing nearby and asked him to call up the police. He then collapsed on the footpath.

Shifted to hospital

The youth raised an alarm, hearing which security personnel on duty reached the spot. A Police Control Room van also arrived there and rushed the injured to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The police recovered a pistol and some cash from the car and a two-page suicide note from the man, later identified as Kishori Lal Sehgal.

In the suicide note, he alleged that his wife was having an illicit relationship leading to a discord between the couple. He also alleged that his wife and her paramour were harassing him because of which he suffered financial losses.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Anand Mohan told a press conference that Kishori Lal's wife had recently lodged a complaint of harassment against him. The matter came up for hearing before the Crime Against Women Cell and he was asked to come to its Nanakpura office around 10.15 a.m. on Thursday. He reached there for the counselling session but no compromise could be reached between him and his wife. He then went to Nehru Park, wrote the suicide note and went towards the Prime Minister's residence, where he stopped the vehicle and shot himself.

Mr. Mohan said no one heard the gunshot as the car's windows were closed and there was heavy traffic on the road.

The police have registered a case of attempted suicide and are trying to verify whether the pistol used was a licensed one. Kishori Lal's condition is stated to be stable.

He has a 17-year-old son from the first wife whom he divorced a few years ago, and a four-year-old son from the second one.