Abohar: Farmer ends life over ‘land grab’

Abohar, June 22

A 65-year-old farmer, identified as Kulwant Singh Kanta of Jodhpur village, 20 km from here, reportedly consumed a poisonous substance yesterday. He was taken to a private hospital at Bathinda, where he passed away.

The son of the deceased, Balwinder Singh, told the police today that some people from their village forcibly occupied six kanals of land owned by his father, ploughing the land with a tractor. They threatened the deceased when he protested, Balwinder added.

Hurt by this, Kulwant consumed a poisonous substance. When his condition worsened, the family took him to a hospital in Bathinda, where he died.

The police have kept the body of the deceased in the mortuary of the civil hospital here for the post mortem.

Bhartiya Kisan Union Sidhupur head Pragat Singh and Abohar head Jagjit Singh said the deceased was an active BKU activist. They demanded that the erring people, who have been named by the son of the deceased in the complaint, should be arrested immediately.

Investigating official ASI Lekh Raj said the statement of the deceased’s son had been recorded. In his statement, he alleged that some land grabbers abetted his father’s suicide, Raj added.