FARMER ENDS LIFE AFTER SDO SLAPS HIM OVER BILL
AGRA: A 50-year-old farmer died by suicide at Sunhara village in Aligarh after being slapped by an SDO of the electricity department over an unpaid bill on Friday, his family members alleged. The SDO has denied the allegation.
A 50-year-old farmer died by suicide at Sunhara village under Barla police station limits in Aligarh district after being slapped by a sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the electricity department over an unpaid bill on Friday, his family members alleged. The SDO concerned has denied the allegation.
The family members, along with other villagers, took the farmer’s body to the electricity department office on Saturday, demanding registration of a murder case against the SDO, who allegedly slapped the farmer, and a junior engineer who snapped the power connection. The villagers also demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the death.
The subdivisional magistrate (SDM) concerned handed over the complaint to the Barla police station to verify the allegations.
“The villagers have alleged misbehaviour by electricity official and are demanding a case against guilty officials. The complaint given by family members has been handed over to the station officer of Barla police station for inquiry,” said subdivisional magistrate (Atrauli) Pankaj Kumar.
An electricity department team had gone for recovery of power dues to Sunhara village in Atrauli tehsil of Aligarh district on Friday and asked the defaulters to deposit the dues. Later, in the day, the farmer was found hanging at his house. The SDM, along with police force, reached the spot.
“An amount of Rs 1,500 was due against a domestic connection of the electricity department, but a bill for Rs 1,50,000 was carried by SDO and JE who snapped the connection. My uncle contested the billed amount and said only Rs 1,500 was owed, but the SDO lost his cool and slapped him and threatened to have him jailed. Afraid of that, my uncle died by suicide,” the farmers’ nephew alleged..
Saurabh Agarwal, the SDO, denied the allegations and stated that the connection was in the name of the son of the deceased and payment of Rs 8,000 was overdue.