A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) functionary and local farmerallegedly committed suicide after accusing officials of corruption. In hissuicide note, he has alleged harassment and levelled corruption charges againstthe sub divisional magistrate (SDM) and revenue official (kanungo).
Harveer, 35, who belonged to the Dalit community and was a father of five, hadbeen 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 Rs50,000 for an extension of farm plot allotted to him and he was 'abused andthreatened' by SDM Kishore Gupta. He has named both in the suicide note.
Taking cognizance of the incident, Badaun District Magistrate Kumar Prashanthas suspended the kanungo and has handed over the probe to an additionaldistrict magistrate (ADM). No action has been taken against the SDM yet.
Harveer was appointed as the BSP's constituency in-charge in the last Assemblypoll. His brother Jaiveer Singh told reporters, "A strip of land wasallotted to Harveer for farming in 2006. The allotment was to be renewed afterevery four years, but the officials were dragging their feet. Harveer had tofrequently visit offices for the renewal, and then the SDM and kanungo demandeda 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 registeredagainst the government official. The kanungo has been suspended by the districtmagistrate. He was found guilty. The ADM is probing the complaint. The familyhas been promised compensation under a government beneficiary scheme."