79-year-old ex-BARC employee shoots self

Mumbai: A 79-year-old ex-employee of BARC on Friday committed suicide by shooting himself with his licensed gun at Vashi. His wife claimed that he took such an extreme step because she failed to cook his favourite vegetable. APMC police station on Friday registered an accidental death report (ADR).

The deceased, Pratap Thakur (79), a former employee of BARC, was staying near Kopari APMC with his wife. Police said that Thakur’s widow on Friday gave her statement: “My husband was having health issues since a year. There were certain dishes that doctor had told me to eliminate from his regular diet. However, he never liked to eat most of what was allowed so he would crib a lot. On Thursday night, he wanted to eat vegetable with gravy but I had made dry vegetable because of which we both fought. Thereafter, he went to another empty flat of his daughter.”

Police said, “He had two flats in the building, one of which is owned by his daughter. But his daughters live abroad so Thakur would stay in the flat whenever he wanted to spend time alone. On Thursday night, he went to the other flat after quarrelling with his wife, took his licensed pistol and shot himself in the head. His wife, neighbour, and some household workers ran towards the other flat but when they opened the door, they found him slumped in his chair in the midst of blood on the floor. They informed police about the same.”

SPI APMC police station Rajendra Galande said, “We have recorded the wife’s statement and investigated the matter. We have confirmed it is suicide and registered a ADR.”