A farmer and his elderly mother allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday by consuming poison at a village near Barnala, Punjab, as they were unable to repay a loan.
According to the police, Baljeet Singh (30) and his mother Balveer Kaur (60) had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh from a commission agent by mortgaging two acres of their land. They added that an old case was going on between the two over the land.
According to The Indian Express, in 2002, Baljeet’s father, Darshan Singh, had taken a loan of Rs 1.10 lakh from a commission agent, Teja Singh, after mortgaging 15 kanals of land and their house. A couple of years later, as the loan remained unpaid, Teja sought to take possession of the property and won the case in the civil court in 2007. While Darshan died in 2012, Teja later went to High Court and filed a contempt of court case.
Police and district administration officials had gone to Jodhpur village to take possession of the land on the directive of a court, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Toor said.
A minor scuffle ensued as Baljeet tried to resist eviction. Unable to reach a compromise, Baljeet reportedly went to the top floor and consumed pesticide, while his mother, who was on the ground floor, also consumed pesticide.
The two were rushed to the civil hospital in Barnala, from where they were referred to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. They died on their way to Ludhiana.
Farmer unions, led by the Bharti Kisan Union, have demanded compensation for the victim’s younger brother, Manjeet, 25. They have refused to cremate the bodies till the accused are arrested.
Police said a case has been registered and the bodies have been sent for postmortem.
I don’t know what was the reason but we are helping those in need. Government can’t bring the water level up all of a sudden.Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
Opposition leader Amarinder Singh said:
Aggrieved by helpless farmers committing suicide as police watch.Will outlaw land auctioning of indebted farmers.Captain Amarinder Singh
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)