A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) functionary and local farmer
allegedly committed suicide after accusing officials of corruption. In his
suicide note, he has alleged harassment and levelled corruption charges against
the sub divisional magistrate (SDM) and revenue official (kanungo).
Harveer, 35, who belonged to the Dalit community and was a father of five, had
been visiting the Sahaswan tehsil and meeting officials regularly. On Saturday,
he went to the tehsil twice before consuming poison on the campus.
Later, he returned home and told his family that he had taken sulphas tablets.
He was referred to a higher medical facility and died during treatment.
In his suicide note, he alleged that kanungo officer Omkar had demanded Rs
50,000 for an extension of farm plot allotted to him and he was 'abused and
threatened' by SDM Kishore Gupta. He has named both in the suicide note.
Taking cognizance of the incident, Badaun District Magistrate Kumar Prashant
has suspended the kanungo and has handed over the probe to an additional
district magistrate (ADM). No action has been taken against the SDM yet.
Harveer was appointed as the BSP's constituency in-charge in the last Assembly
poll. His brother Jaiveer Singh told reporters, "A strip of land was
allotted to Harveer for farming in 2006. The allotment was to be renewed after
every four years, but the officials were dragging their feet. Harveer had to
frequently visit offices for the renewal, and then the SDM and kanungo demanded
a bribe of Rs 50,000. We gave a written complaint to the police."
When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police Sankalp Sharma said,
"According to the law, FIR in this case cannot be directly registered
against the government official. The kanungo has been suspended by the district
magistrate. He was found guilty. The ADM is probing the complaint. The family
has been promised compensation under a government beneficiary scheme."