Pressured to repay loan, farmer consumes poison in Bijnor

MEERUT: A 50-year-old farmer allegedly consumed poison in the Jhalu area of Bijnor district as he was publicly humiliated and pressured to repay a loan.

He died during treatment on Thursday night.

The alleged incident took place on Wednesday on the premises of a co-operative society office.

Angry villagers placed the farmer’s body on the premises of the cooperative society on Friday. They demanded action against the tehsil staff, who had allegedly gone to his house at Hasanpur Jat village in Bijnor for recovery of the loan and insulted him in the presence of his relatives who had gathered for the wedding of the farmer’s niece. The farmer had taken a loan of Rs 99,000 in 2016.

Superintendent of police ( city) Praveen Ranjan said police received no complaint to lodge a case.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lokshakti) Bijnor district president Veer Singh arrived at the village with his supporters and persuaded the family members and villagers to end the protest following a compromise.

Singh said the cooperative society officials agreed to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the farmer and give a peon’s job to a family member.

“The family of the deceased farmer didn’t lodge a complaint with the police after compromise,” said Singh.

Veer Singh said the farmer a was member of BKU Lokshakti who had taken a loan from Kisan Co-operative society in 2016 but could not repay it.

He said the wedding function of the farmer’s niece was scheduled in the village when tehsil staff arrived at his house and insulted him for not repaying the loan. Singh said the farmer pleaded with the recovery staff to give him some time, saying he will settle the issue after the wedding, but they misbehaved with him in the presence of relatives and villagers.

Troubled by the public humiliation, the farmer went to the cooperative society office and consumed poison. He was taken to a hospital in Bijnor and doctors referred him to the medical college hospital in Meerut. He died on Thursday night.

The assistant registrar for cooperatives in Bijnor Pradeep Kumar denied that the farmer consumed poison on the premises of the cooperative society office in Jhalu. He claimed that the farmer had committed a fraud with the society earlier and a case was registered against him.

He denied the farmer was insulted. The official insisted it was the right of the staff to go for recovery of loans.

Veer Singh questioned the assistant registrar’s version and said they were now trying to save themselves.

THE ALLEGED INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON WEDNESDAY ON THE PREMISES OF A CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY OFFICE.