Former Indian chief minister’s son found dead in UK

The body of Shubanso Pul, son of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul, was recently found in a one-bedroom apartment in Brighton.

Investigators are probing if the 20-year-old law student at University of Sussex had committed suicide. Officers had to break open his room, which was locked from inside.

“At 3:41pm on Sunday (February 9) police were called to an address in Falmer, where a 20-year-old man was found dead in a bedroom,” an East Sussex Police statement said. “There were no suspicious circumstances.”

Shubanso is son of Pul and his first wife Dangwimsai. Pul had allegedly hanged himself in 2016, leaving behind a 60-page suicide note, after the Supreme Court of India annulled his appointment as chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

Pul was a five-time legislator of the Congress party. He had broken away with a faction of party rebels, and assumed power in the northeastern state with the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

His death had resulted in speculation and conspiracy theories, as his suicide note, ‘My Thoughts’, accused several politicians, government officials and members of the judiciary of corruption and malpractices.

Subsequently, Pul’s third wife, Dasanglu Pul, was given a BJP ticket to contest from his home seat, Hayuliang. She currently represents the constituency in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly.

Some reports said Shubanso suffered from depression after his father’s death. His mother, however, told the Indian media that he “seemed to be happy” when she spoke to him over phone on February 8, a day before his death was reported.

“We are shocked. We do not know under what circumstances he died, what happened to him,” Dangwimsai Pul told The Print.

“When I spoke to him, he was completely normal and did not show any signs of depression. He was happy and all fine.

“He spoke to his massis (aunts) on a WhatsApp call and told them about his day. He seemed okay.

“I do not know what went wrong. We will know what happened to him only once his body is back home.”

The family was informed about the death on Monday (10). Authorities “did not divulge any further details” she added. Officials told her Subhanso’s body would be sent after postmortem.

Shubanso’s friends in the UK had reportedly seen him last on the night of February 7. Now, the family is coordinating with the Indian High Commission in the UK to get his body to their home in Arunachal’s capital Itanagar.