INDIAN diplomats have urged Bahraini authorities to reopen an investigation into the death of a man who reportedly committed suicide two months ago.

They are acting based on requests of Sabita Mohapatra, whose husband Sitanshu Senapati was found hanging in his apartment near Salmaniya Medical Complex on June 13.

Ms Mohapatra claims her 38-year-old husband was murdered a day after having a heated argument with two associates about business deals.

The mother-of-one has sent a letter to Indian Ambassador Dr Mohan Kumar, requesting his intervention.

However, an Indian Embassy spokesman said the murder allegations should have been made before Mr Senapati’s body was repatriated in June.

“Before repatriating the body, we enquired of the family if they wanted any further investigation to be done, but they declined and demanded the body and belongings of the deceased,” he said.

“Ms Mohapatra’s allegations should have come at that time, but she didn’t object.

“However, the Indian Embassy has approached (Bahraini) authorities to reopen the investigation.”

The embassy has also appointed its legal consultant Bushra Mayoof to follow the progress of the case.

In the letter, Ms Mohapatra casts doubt on the reported suicide and describes the love her husband had for their three-year-old daughter, saying he would have never taken his own life.

“I was not in the right state of mind and after receiving the body I was in great shock because it did not look like a suicide case,” she said.

“Also, I know my husband was a God fearing man who had immense love for his family, especially for his daughter.

“Thus, I cannot bring myself to believe that he would leave us all in such a pathetic situation.

“I still do not believe that my husband could have committed suicide.”

Ms Mohapatra lived in Bahrain with her husband and child, but left in May to visit her ailing father-in-law.

She has now demanded an autopsy report and details about the police investigation into the alleged suicide.

“I need a post-mortem report and his other belongings like his laptop and bank statements,” she said in the letter.

“I also need a police report providing details such as if they found any suicide note, whether the door was locked from inside or outside and in what condition was he hanging?

“What was he wearing? When was his body recovered? And how can we recover his dues from the employer?

“This is highly important to me as I have to maintain a livelihood for my daughter.

“Being the wife, I have a strong conviction that it was cold-blooded murder and not a suicide case, the way it has been portrayed.

“I last spoke to him on June 12 at around 8.45pm and in that conversation we could not find any unusual behaviour and it was like any routine conversation.

“He had not shown any kind of depression which could have led him to take such an extreme step.”

Mr Senapati worked as a manager for Arbeel Contracting, and hailed from the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
aneeqa@gdn.com.bh