Baldy died due to asphyxiation by hanging

BANGALORE: Sqn Ldr (Retd) Baldev Singh (Baldy), former director Corporate Planning-Marketing, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, has committed suicide; concluded the police, ruling out any foul play. The Chikballapur police, who investigated the death of Baldy, one of India’s finest test pilots, have closed the case after getting the final post-mortem report. This is in tune with what the police and doctors told the Express Investigation Team in November 2011. Baldy’s body was found hanging from a tree near Nandi Hills on October 11.Dr B V Diwakar, senior specialist with Chikballapur District Hospital, who conducted the post-mortem had kept his final opinion pending, for want of Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) sample results. “We have received the report of the chemical samples which were sent to FSL on November 4. It is now a clear-cut case of suicide by hanging. No poison was found during the FSL tests,” Dr Diwakar said.A 10-member police team headed by B Iyyanna Reddy, Investigating Officer and Sub-Inspector, Chikballapur Rural police station, were handling this case. “It is now officially closed from our end. We have informed the Taluk Executive Magistrate by filing the B-Final report. His death is caused by asphyxiation due to hanging,” Reddy said.When asked about the chances of the case being re-opened, considering that neither the police nor HAL went behind the reason for Baldy to take such an extreme step, Reddy said, “If someone comes forward and says that it needs to be re-opened from a suspicious angle, then we will investigate from a different angle.”