Body found hanging at Jaipur fort in protest of 'Padmavati'

Jaipur: A mysterious death has given a new dimension to the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmavati.

Morning walkers on Friday found the body of an unidentified man hanging from the ramparts of Jaipur’s famous Nahargarh fort.

The body was hanging outside the wall over a ditch, while within the ramparts, some notes have been found scribbled on stones with coal, purportedly against those protesting the movie’s release.

The 40-year-old deceased was identified as Chetan Saini, a resident of Jaipur’s Shastri Nagar from the Aadhaar card found in his pocket. He was working at a jewellery shop. The police also found a ticket to Mumbai. It was not clear whether it was a murder or a suicide. The police not willing to say anything on the record except that it was too early to comment and all possible angles are looked at.

However, Chetan’s brother was confident that it was a murder. “My brother cannot commit suicide. It appears to be a murder,” said Ram Ratan Saini. He added that his brother had nothing to do with the threat note written on rocks. “Padmavati ka virodh karne walon, hum kile par sirf putle nahi latkate…hum mein hai dum (Those opposing Padmavati, we don’t hang mere effigies from forts…we have the guts), “Har kaafir ka haal yahi” (Same fate to all non-believers), “Chetan tantric mara gaya” (Tantric Chetan has been killed), are some of the scribbles found on stones near the body.

Each message mentioned name Padmavati, prima facie implied that it has something to do with ongoing protests and threats over Bhansali’s film.