Having missed to clear recruitment examinations to several government jobs over the past five years, Mukesh Meena ( name changed ), an Arts graduate, had taken Indian Railways Group-D category examination held this past month and was confident of making it this time. Mukesh (26) was also preparing hard for the RPF recruitment examination scheduled next month.
However, destiny had other plans for him and his three friends who died after being hit by a train in Alwar on November 20 under mysterious circumstances. The gruesome incident made headlines following reports that the four were frustrated over failing to secure a government job despite years of hard work and entered into a “suicide pact” to end their lives.
Two of their friends, Santosh Meena and Rahul Meena, had escaped unhurt in the incident.
The police have recorded the statements of the two survivors since and claim that it was a “suicide pact”, but are not sure about the provocation. “All four were aged around 20-22 and one of them was just 17. They all come from well-to-do families. It is, therefore, difficult to buy the argument that they were frustrated over failing to secure a job. It is a suicide pact, but we are investigating to find the exact reasons. It could be a failed love affair. They also had the habit of drinking and smoking,” said Station House Officer (Aravalli Vihar) Hari Singh Choudhary.
Fourth man dies
The fourth, 20-year-old Akshay ( name changed ), who was under treatment at a hospital in Jaipur, breathed his last on Friday.
Akshay had come to Alwar just two days before the incident. He had failed in B.Sc (I) twice and was pursuing graduation in Arts.
Santosh, in his statement, told the police that 17-year-old Rajan ( name changed ), a son of a head constable, and 23-year-old Sunny ( name changed ) were the only two talking about dying by suicide for failing to get a job, said Mr. Choudhary.
Mukesh’s brother Vinod, however, strongly refuted the suicide theory, arguing that there was no impending financial crisis and no pressure on him to get a job. He had rented a room at Alwar, around 60 km from his village Bahadkho Kalan, and preparing for competitive exams for the past over two years. Earlier, he had also stayed at Jaipur and Dosa for coaching for around three years.
“Both Rahul and Santosh fled the spot after the incident and did not inform the police. It raises suspicion. Mukesh had come for Diwali and went back on November 10. He seemed optimistic to land a job this time. We suspect it to be a murder. The police want to pass it off as a suicide pact to get rid of the matter,” alleged Vinod, an electrical engineer, even as the relatives and friends were tricking in for a ritual to mark the third day of the death.
Mukesh is survived by his father, a farmer, mother and three siblings, including two sisters. His uncle R.S. Meena alleged that it could be a “political conspiracy” as well, with the elections in the State round the corner.
One of the two eyewitnesses, Santosh (19), a fellow villager of Mukesh, told The Hindu that it was an “accident”. Santosh stays at a rented room in Alwar and is currently pursuing polytechnic. He claimed that Sunny and Mukesh had come to his room around 3 p.m. on November 20 and all the three then went to Rajan’s flat at Shanti Kunj. “Rahul also joined us at Rajan’s room. We had cold drinks and strolled to the railway tracks just 500m from the flat. Akshay, who had gone to withdraw money from the ATM also joined us later,” recalled Santosh.
He also said that they remained seated on the tracks chatting and cracking jokes for around two hours. Santosh said that Rajanwho kept talking about taking his life, but that he did not tell them the exact reason. Rajan said that he had lived long enough and now wanted to go, Santosh recalled. “I got a call from my father. I walked away from the tracks to take it. Rahul followed me. It was at this point that the train approached at a high speed. The four, who were still sitting on the tracks, got up to get out of its way, but were run over. It was a horrifying scene. Both of us fled not being able to figure out as what to do,” said Santosh.
