Accusing patwari of fraud, Bathinda farmer ends life

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 10

A patwari, his assistant and a resident of Lehra Bega village have been booked after a farmer committed suicide by consuming poisonous substance outside the patwari’s office here today.

In an unsigned suicide note left behind, 70-year-old farmer Jaswant Singh accused patwari Jagjit Singh, his assistant Tarlochan Singh and Raja Singh of pocketing a large part of the financial compensation that he was to get in lieu of his 22 kanals of his land which the government had acquired to make the grain market in Bhucho.

Nathana SHO Angrez Singh said in the suicide note, the farmer had scribbled that the patwari concerned in connivance with his assistant and a village resident allegedly siphoned off a part of the compensation that the government released against the farmer’s land. “As the note is not signed, we can’t fully rely on it. We have registered a case against the trio named in the note under Section 306 of the IPC and have begun inquest proceedings. All three persons are absconding,” the SHO added.

The farmer is survived by his children.

Farmer jumps into canal, dies

Muktsar: A 42-year-old “debt-ridden” farmer allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the Rajasthan Feeder canal here. The body of deceased Jagtar Singh, a native of Kothe Mastan Singh near Doda village, was fished out from the canal today. He had jumped on Monday. Sources said the deceased owned just three acres. He had taken loan from a bank to do some business, which failed.