Murder or suicide? Mystery over cadet's death at IAF college

The mystery of a cadet trainee's death at the Air Force Technical College in northern Bengaluru last week remains unsolved although the police have opened a murder investigation against six officials.

Ankit Kumar Jha (27) was found hanging in one of the unoccupied rooms on the college campus in Jalahalli West around 5 pm on September 21, shortly after a court of inquiry terminated him. A seven-page purported death note blamed six officials, as DH reported on September 23.

The IAF on Sunday said it has ordered a court of inquiry into Ankit's death.

A police complaint filed by Ankit's younger brother, Aman Kumar Jha, 24, alleged murder. The Gangammanagudi police booked the six officials under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention). They are Air Commodore Sameer Khalode, Group Captains Gum Rao and Badrinath V, Wing Commanders S S Huddar and Ankit Sharma, and Under Training Flying Officer (UTFO) Tahira Rehman.

Arun Gowda, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Yeshwantpur subdivision), said they were awaiting the post-mortem report, which was expected by Monday or Tuesday, before taking further action. No arrests have been made, he added and refused to give more details. The post-mortem was done on September 23.

Police sources said that while a murder case was filed, the death was likely a suicide.

However, Ankit's cousin Richa Thakur, who was the first from the family to reach the AFTC campus after his death, has raised several questions.

According to her, Ankit had spoken to her about how the officials were "torturing" him to sign documents. She wondered why the college authorities didn't immediately notify the family and wait for Aman's arrival from Kochi before shifting the body. They also tried to "suppress" the death note and "hide" his phone, she claimed.