Cops probe dead driver’s letter blaming industrialist

A 45-year-old man,who died of burns suffered about a week ago at the Friends Colony residence of his employer Anil Nanda,vice-chairman and managing director of Escorts Ltd,had purportedly written a letter before his death holding the industrialist and his business partners responsible if anything happened to him.

In his dying declaration,Nanda’s driver Janeshwar Sharma told the police that he was in his quarters when someone came from behind and set him on fire on the afternoon of June 9. Other drivers in the house rushed the victim to Labour Hospital and then to Safdarjung Hospital,where he died on Tuesday night. Sharma,who could barely speak,recorded his statement before the police by answering the questions put to him. According to the FIR,Sharma said that 12 days before he was set afire,Nanda’s business partner Vijay Sinha caught him as he was following him on the directions of Nanda’s manager Dheeraj.

Sharma’s relatives have also given the police a letter,a copy of which is with Newsline,purportedly written by Sharma days before he was attacked. In the letter,he has held Nanda and his partners solely responsible. “I am writing this letter so that in future if anything were to happen to me or my family Nanda and his gang can be held responsible,” reads the letter addressed to all government agencies.

Asked about the authenticity of the letter,Additional Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Virender Singh Chehl told Newsline,“We have received the letter and it is under investigation. All evidence and allegations are being looked into. We have converted the attempt to murder case into murder after Sharma’s death and are investigating the case from all angles.”