Dangwimsai Pul, the widow of the late chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Kalikho Pul, has been pressing for a probe into those mentioned in her husband’s suicide note. However, her withdrawal of the petition came as a surprise. In an interview to Yilobeni Valerie Patton, she spells out her reasons.
Why did you withdraw your petition in the Supreme Court?
Actually, on 17th we put forth our petition at the Supreme Court seeking permission to register an FIR against all the individuals mentioned in my husband’s note. But today the judge seemed in a mood to dismiss the case full and final in the courtroom itself. We had asked for administrative permission but since it came up before a judicial bench, we got apprehensive and hence we withdrew the case.
Were you expecting such an outcome from the Supreme Court hearing?
Maybe, yes. Because a lot of big personalities from the public sphere are named in the note. So I was anticipating some manipulation and political drama from the beginning.
What is the next legal action or strategy that you are going to follow?
I’m not aware of the legalities so we’ll just have to wait and see.
The CM himself had assured a thorough investigation into Pul’s suicide. Yet, the state government seems to be doing nothing now.
The state government is doing nothing because the sitting CM himself has been named in the note, along with his deputy CM. So maybe that’s why the police have been pressurised not to reveal any findings and close the case.
It’s now over six months since your husband’s death. Have any of your husband’s ex-colleagues or politicians tried to get in touch with you or the family?
No, not really. I am fighting this alone.
There are contradictory reports regarding the suicide note, whether it was a handwritten one with his signature, or typed out on a computer and then printed and signed by Kalikho Pul. If you could clarify this for us? And how did you stumble upon those notes?
It was typed. He made 10 copies. We found those copies strewn everywhere on the floor in the very room where we discovered his dead body hanging from the ceiling. It was the same day itself. Dated August 8, 2016 , his signature was found on every page of the note. This should not be ignored.
It is being speculated that your husband’s Hindi was not strong. If he did not write it himself, do you know who wrote it for him?
This note was written after a good amount of planning. He had engaged someone to write it for him while he dictated it. From the writing to the printing, everything was done secretly behind our back, none of the family members knew about this. Sometime after his demise, we got to know that he had requested the person not to tell any of us. We were never aware. We found them only on the day he died.
Can you tell us who wrote the notes for him?
One of the employees from the CM’s office had written it for him.
What was his state of mind during the last days of his life? Was your husband in depression? Was he meeting people?
Yes he was under severe depression but even then he did meet a few people. My husband would often wonder out loud about what he should actually do to teach corrupt people a lesson.
How have your lives changed since the suicide?
We were hoping that the government will do something for us but they have failed us. But in our heart of hearts, we are still hoping that someone, somewhere will help us get justice and we will get a free and fair probe. I am sure there are a lot of people who support us. It’s also written in his notes that even if 0.1 percent change can be brought about in eradicating corruption with the help of his notes/information, he will be at peace. We are fighting for this.