Former CBI director Ashwani Kumar found hanging at his Shimla residence

Former Nagaland governor and former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation Ashwani Kumar was found dead at his residence in Shimla on Wednesday. He was 69.

Shimla Superintendent of Police Mohit Chawla said Kumar’s body was found hanging at his residence. Police have recovered a suicide note from the spot.

According to reports, Kumar, who is survived by his wife and son, was under depression for sometime now.

Kumar joined the Indian Police Service in 1973 and became the DGP of Himachal Pradesh in August 2006. In 2008, Kumar became the CBI director, succeeding Vijay Shanker, in the midst of the agency’s probe into the Aarushi Talwar murder case that hogged the headlines.

Kumar had expressed his displeasure over the probe into the Aarushi murder case and had taken upon himself to take it to a logical conclusion.

During his tenure, a closure report had been prepared which later formed the basis of arrest and conviction of Aarushi’s parents. Both the parents are now out on bail and the case is being heard in higher courts.

During his stint as the CBI Director, Kumar laid a special focus on the growing economic offences and roped in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to help the agency in probing white collar crimes.

Kumar is remembered by his former colleagues and even the present officers as a perfect soft-spoken gentleman who always wore a graceful smile, reported soures.

In 2013, the then UPA government appointed him as Governor of Nagaland, a post from which he tendered his resignation after the BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014.

He was the first CBI Director to have been appointed to the post of Governor as he was considered close to the then power corridors.

He was presently the vice chancellor of a private university in Shimla. Reports said the university is facing charges of issuing fake degrees.