SENIOR BSP LEADER’S SON SHOOTS SELF

LUCKNOW: The son of senior leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Lalji Verma shot himself at his residence in Gomti Nagar’s Vijayant Khand area on Wednesday morning, police said.

Inspector, Vibhuti Khand police station, Satyendra Rai said Vikas Verma, 39, shot himself in his chest with a licensed short DBBL gun at around 11 am.

Rai said Madhuri Verma, the wife of Vikas, found him lying on the floor when she rushed to the room after hearing the gunshot. The family rushed Vikas to trauma centre of the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) where doctors pronounced him dead.

BSP president Mayawati visited Verma’s house to express condolence. Many BSP and BJP leaders also met Lalji Verma at KGMU.

“The family members said Vikas was suffering from some disease for the last few years and remained disturbed due to this. Initial probe suggests that he took the extreme step due to acute depression. We have not recovered any suicide note so far. The firearm has been seized for further examination,” Rai said. He said the body had been handed over to the family after post-mortem examination.

“They have left for their native place Ambedkar Nagar to conduct the last rites,” Rai said

Vikas’s friends claimed that he had tried to shoot himself at his residence in Akbarpur, Ambedkar Nagar, on March 12 last year. They said Vikas had suffered a bullet injury on the left side near his ear and the shell got stuck inside leading to a fracture in the jaw.

Before his first suicide attempt, Vikas had posted a message on his Facebook wall saying he was ending his life due to longterm illness and his inability to stay connected with his friends.

Vikas was the eldest among three siblings, including two daughters. He is survived by his wife Madhuri, who is a drug inspector, and sons Ansh and Abhay.

The children were at the school when the incident took place. Lalji Verma was the cabinet minister in the BSP government in UP from 2007 to 2012. He is a sitting MLA from Katehari assembly constituency of Ambedkar Nagar.

BSP PRESIDENT MAYAWATI VISITED VERMA’S HOUSE TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCE. MANY BSP AND BJP LEADERS ALSO MET LALJI VERMA AT KGMU.