Suicide Twist: Deceased Devinder a debt-ridden farmer or an unemployed?
By Shaurya Sharma
Fatehgarh Sahib, August.5,2017: The case of Devinder Singh, the last surviving male of a farmer family who committed suicide at village Chanarthal Kalan allegedly due to the harassment at the end of Commission agent two days ago, has taken a new twist.
The family relative and complainant Harnek Singh resident of Bhal Majra lodged FIR with Mulepur police station mentioning that deceased Devinder Singh committed suicide as Jaspal Singh, Harjeet Singh and Supinder Singh working as commission agents had taken money from Devinder Singh for getting him job but they were neither refunding the money nor providing him job.
On his statement police registered FIR u/s 306, 34 IPC against all the three partners of Commission agent firm.
Varinder Jit Singh Thind DSP Fatehgarh Sahib said that Harnek Singh resident of Bhal Majra, who lodged FIR on behalf of family is also complainant in already two cases related to earlier suicides. He said that family agreed to the FIR in the manner stated by Harnek Singh.
He said Harnek Singh rejected the farmer's suicide theory mentioned by police in 174 IPC but now as per his statement police registered FIR as per his written statement. The DSP said why Harnek changed it is not known but police has to work as per statement of complainant and case has been modified as from farmer's suicide to unemployment category.
The DSP said that Jaspal Singh, Harjeet Singh and Supinder Singh have been booked and police was conducting raids to nab them. He said that one of them Jaspal Singh is already in jail in the case related to suicide by Gurlabh Singh father of the deceased Devinder Singh, whereas the other two have fled from their houses after locking it. Both would be arrested soon, he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kanwalpreet Brar deputed the area SDM, Chief Agricultural Officer and District Social Security Officer to visit the bereaved family and to ensure full justice to them.
The SDM said that the family members and the villagers told the Committee that Gurlabh Singh father of deceased Devinder Singh had taken Rs. 4 lakh loan from the commission agent Harjit Singh around a decade back but the commission agent increased the amount to whopping Rs. 20 lakh by adding interest.
They said that the commission agent got the 4 acre land of the family sold for Rs. 64 lakh but didn't pay a single penny to the family and instead usurped the whole amount. The family also alleged that owing to the harassment by the commission agent, the father of deceased Devinder Singh had committed suicide on December 31, 2016.
Meanwhile, the DC has called a meeting of the district level committee formed for providing relief to the bereaved family on August 7. The case would then be sent to the Government for providing financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh as per the government policy. She also announced old age pension for the mother, widow pension for wife and dependent pension for the lone daughter of the deceased.