A Dehradun court on May 25 ordered 14 days' judicial custody for the Gupta brothers — Anil and Ajay, both South Africa-based businessmen, who are accused of abetting builder Satinder Singh's suicide, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh told PTI.
Singh, also known as Baba Sahni, jumped from the eighth floor of his daughter's building on May 24 and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. After a complaint by his son Ranveer Singh and a note allegedly written by the deceased, police filed a case against Anil and Ajay Gupta and arrested them, PTI reported.
The arrests were made under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code at Rajpur police station.
Sahni's Suicide
Police arrived at the scene at 11:30 am after being informed of an injured and unconscious man near the Pacific Golf State building in Rajpur, as per a PTI report. The injured man was identified as Sahni, a builder residing in the upscale Race Course area.
Sahni was rushed to Max Hospital after his fall but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
In his complaint, Sahni's son accused the Gupta brothers of intimidating, threatening, and blackmailing his father. Sahni had previously filed a police report alleging that the Gupta brothers were exerting undue pressure on him regarding a project.
The complaint also mentions that the Gupta brothers had lodged a false complaint against Sahni in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. They allegedly pressured Sahni to transfer his companies to them by threatening to jail him and his son-in-law on false charges.
Where is South Africa in this?
The Gupta brothers are both South African citizens. South Africa, on Saturday, May 25, said it will engage with the Indian government, PTI reported. Notably, one of the duo is also wanted in South Africa for allegedly looting billions from state-owned enterprises.
Atul, Ajay, and Rajesh Gupta, from an Indian-origin family, have been accused of siphoning billions of rands in South Africa through their close association with former president Jacob Zuma. The family fled to Dubai after Zuma was ousted from the presidency in 2018.
In 2023, the UAE refused South Africa's request to extradite Rajesh and Atul Gupta, prompting South Africa to declare them fugitives. The Gupta brothers had built a vast empire in the IT, media, and mining sectors. Their assets in South Africa have been frozen, and they face legal challenges to release them.
However, it is uncertain whether this Ajay Gupta is the same person who fled South Africa with his brothers Atul and Rajesh.
“Justice and Correctional Services has noted reports of the arrest of two Gupta brothers, Ajay and Anil, in India. Our arrest warrants were for Rajesh and Atul Gupta. Nevertheless, formal processes are underway through the High Commissioner in India to verify and for possible engagement,” Department of Justice spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told News24.
Officials noted that although the reports identified the arrested individuals as “brothers”, the trio that fled South Africa are Ajay, Atul, and Rajesh, while Anil is believed to be their brother-in-law, married to their sister Achala.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, addressing an African National Congress rally in Johannesburg on May 25, confirmed that the government was aware of the arrests in India. However, he acknowledged the uncertainty about whether any of them were the individuals for whom South Africa had issued warrants of arrest.
