An Assistant Director in the Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department assigned the duty of a cabinet minister allegedly committed suicide by hanging at her house in the Saket Nagar area of Bhopal.
According to the police, Pooja Thapak (29) lived with her husband Nikhil Dubey, her one-year-old son, and her parents-in-law. Nikhil Dubey is a Nayab Tehsildar in the state government, who is currently on deputation in the State Technology Department as assistant director.
Initial police investigation revealed marital discord between Pooja and Nikhil. They have been fighting with each other regularly since their wedding in 2022. They came in contact with each other before marriage and studied together while preparing for the State Public Service Commission (PSC) examination in Indore.
The police found out that the couple had a heated exchange last evening before the wife locked herself inside her room. As she did not open the door for long despite repeated calls, Nikhil broke open the door and found her hanging from the ceiling of the room.
He told the police that he rushed Pooja to a hospital where breathed her last at around 3 am while undergoing treatment.
Govindpura police station Inspector Avdhesh Tomar said the police are investigating the case from all angles. As no suicide note was found at the spot, they are scanning Pooja’s mobile details and laptop entries for leads.
Sources said Pooja had lodged a complaint against Nikhil in the past and had left home to live with her parents in Gwalior for about six months. Later, the couple agreed to live together again after a reconciliation through counseling.
Pooja Thapak was selected assistant director, Public Relations in 2017 while Nikhil was selected Nayab Tehsildar in 2018 through the State PSC exam. She was the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Madhya Pradesh Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Patel.