A week after a 31-year-old businessman hung himself at a lodge, Samarth police have booked five persons, including two policemen, on the charge of abetment to suicide.

The accused have been identified as Rohit and Rohan Bobade from Bhekrainagar in Phursungi, Rajesh Salunke, and police constables A D Thorat and D B Khedkar who are posted at Hadapsar police station.

The deceased, Akshay Vasant Kale, a resident of Guruwar Peth, had hung himself in a room at Oriental hotel, Mangalwar Peth at 11 pm on October 7. After his death, his brother Milind (32) lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that Akshay committed suicide after being harassed by the accused in a cheating case.

According to the police, Akshay ran a business of buying and selling used cars. In one of the business transactions’, Rohit and Rohan allegedly cheated Akshay. But, instead of taking action against them, Akshay was arrested by the police in the case.

Later, Akshay was released on bail, but police constables Thorat and Khedkar started harassing him. Salunke also was haggling Akshay, asking him to return the money received from the business transaction, Milind has stated in the complaint. u00a0