Shop owner booked for harassment after salesman’s ‘suicide attempt’

According to police, Kanubhai Prajapati, a resident of Khokhra in Ahmedabad, was a salesman at Deepkala Junction saree shop at Shivranjani intersection in Satellite of Ahmedabad, run by Pradip Shah.

Days after a 39-year-old salesman at a garments shop in Satellite of Ahmedabad attempted suicide allegedly due to harassment by the shop owner, police have booked the latter for abetment to suicide.

According to police, Kanubhai Prajapati, a resident of Khokhra in Ahmedabad, was a salesman at Deepkala Junction saree shop at Shivranjani intersection in Satellite of Ahmedabad, run by Pradip Shah.

On February 25, around 3.30 am, Prajapati allegedly attempted suicide by cutting his wrists and ankles with a shaving blade at a public park near zero point on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway. He was rushed to LG Hospital by a few passerby. Prajapati gained consciousness on Monday and registered a complaint against the shop owner for mental harassment. He is married and has a son and a daughter.

“I have been employed as a salesman in the saree shop for the past seven years and a total of 20 salesmen work with me in the time shift 11 am to 9 pm. For the past two months, Pradip Shah has been targeting me for unknown reasons. If I am late to work by five minutes, he used to deduct 25% of my salary on daily basis and 50% if I am late for longer. If I take a leave on Sunday and report to duty the next day, then he doesn’t count Monday as my working day for salary,” he said in the complaint.

“He used to tell me in front of others that I was of no use and that I can be replaced any day. Many times, he swore at me in front of my colleagues and mentally tortured me and ensured that I suffer financially. On February 25 night, as I went to sleep, the insults meted out to me by Shah kept playing in my head… I got up and collected five razor blades, wrote a suicide note, kept it in my pocket and left on foot around 3 am… I reached a park and cut my wrists and ankles after which I lost consciousness,” Prajapati added in his complaint.

Taking cognisance, police lodged a case against Shah at Ramol police station under IPC 306 for abetment to suicide, 511 for committing offences punishable under life imprisonment, 506 for criminal intimidation and 294B for obscenity.

“The FIR was filed after the victim submitted his complaint… We have also collected an alleged suicide note written by him. Further probe is going on,” said an officer at Ramol police station.

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