Patna: Family members and close friends of Rajesh Sahani, an additional superintendent of police with the Uttar Pradesh police's anti-terrorism squad (ATS) who allegedly shot himself dead on Tuesday in Lucknow, have demanded a CBI probe.

While Rajesh's septuagenarian parents - Prem Sagar Sahani and Kanta Sahani - left for Lucknow on Tuesday evening, his cousin Manoj Sahani was in a state of shock at their Patel Nagar residence on Wednesday.

"It's hard to believe he is no more," Manoj said. He said nobody who knew Rajesh, would believe he could commit suicide. "He was so bold, brave and jovial. There should be thorough investigation, preferably by the CBI to ascertain the truth," averred Manoj, an automobile dealer.

Rajesh, a resident of Patna's upscale Patel Nagar locality, was posted with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and was associated with the probe into serial blasts in Bodhgaya on July 7, 2013, and at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on October 27, 2013, respectively. He had joined the NIA in 2014, a few months after the blasts.

"He visited Patna twice to investigate the multiple blasts case. He used to talk less and focus more on his assignments," recalled Manoj. He said Rajesh had told family members he would visit Mumbai on May 31 to get his daughter Shreya enrolled into Tata Institute of Social Sciences and return to Lucknow on June 5.

"But destiny had something else in store. I can't believe God can be so cruel to us," he said.

Rajesh's friend Animesh, an engineer with a cellular company in Haryana, described Rajesh as a balanced person. "He was one of the best students of our class at Xavier's School in Patna (1984 batch). Later he did his Intermediate and graduated from Patna College where he was awarded 'Chhatra Ratan"."

Relatives who had gathered at Rajesh's residence said his wife Shalini is a painter and the couple had a very good relationship. "I doubt he (Rajesh) would have committed suicide. There must be some reason, which needs to be probed," said Ratan Kumar, a relative.