Buxar DM 'suicide': Father-in-law quashes family dispute as reason

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Expressing grief over the death of District Magistrate of Buxar Mukesh Pandey, his father-in-law Rakesh Prasad Singh has quashed media claims that a family dispute was the reason behind his suicide. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "It is a sad moment for the family now as it is a big loss too. Mukesh was a true gentleman and loving towards his family. He was very close to me as he used to share everything with me. The reasons that the media are giving are baseless and wrong. Families do have issues but making it a reason for his death is totally wrong. There are problems in every family but commercializing it is totally wrong." Further, shedding some light on Mukesh's relation with his wife and family, Singh asserted that he looked happy and contented with life. "My daughter started staying with me after she got pregnant and Mukesh used to come and visit her too. He had also celebrated Raksha Bandhan with all of us; he looked happy and contented with life. We didn't know what was going on with him," he said. "The day he committed suicide he had informed the family telling us; he was staying at Leela Palace Hotel and planned to end his life at Janakpuri District Centre in west Delhi. We instantly came to action and wanted to help him out but we were too late and lost him. His suicide note is heartening; it has shocked us drastically. Mukesh has done injustice to his family especially to his wife and daughter," Singh continued. Yesterday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep grief over the death of the District Magistrate and said, "Buxar DM Mukesh Pandey's death is a heart-wrenching incident. He was a great administrator. May his soul rest in peace." Mukesh took his life by jumping in front of a train. His body was found on the railway track at a yard near the station. According to a written note, Mukesh, a 2012-batch IAS officer, was fed up with his life and lost his belief in human existence. (ANI)