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Hardoi farmer dies by suicide; kin allege humiliation by lekhpal
Family members alleged that the deceased had been visiting the lekhpal in question for nearly a year seeking correction of his land documents, but was repeatedly turned away and often called mad.
A 58-year-old farmer in Hardoi district allegedly died by suicide, with his body found hanging from a tree near his village on early Saturday morning, police said. The farmer allegedly took the extreme step after repeated humiliation linked to a land records dispute involving a local lekhpal, whose name was found written on the deceased’s shirt, they added.
The body was found hanging about 600 metres from his home at around 5 am. Villagers who spotted the body alerted the family and police. Kotwali Dehat in-charge Harinath Yadav said police reached the spot immediately, completed panchnama proceedings and sent the body for the post-mortem examination. An investigation has been launched.
Family members alleged that the deceased had been visiting the lekhpal in question for nearly a year seeking correction of his land documents, but was repeatedly turned away and often called mad.
His brother-in-law alleged that the lekhpal consistently humiliated him. “The lekhpal would call him mad and insult him. He was deeply hurt by this behaviour,” the brother-in-law alleged. Just a day before his death, the farmer visited the lekhpal’s office and was turned away again. He returned home and allegedly died by suicide.
Reports said the dispute stemmed from the chakbandi (land consolidation) process initiated in the village, which was later cancelled following residents’ opposition. When documents were returned after cancellation, the farmer and several others found discrepancies. Some gata numbers (revenue survey identifiers for individual land parcels) from his 55 bigha holding had either gone missing or been incorrectly entered.
ADM (judicial) Prafull Tripathi, who visited the post-mortem house and met the bereaved family, confirmed that information was received at the Kotwali Dehat on Saturday. “The allegations levelled in the matter are being examined,” he said.
Sadar SDM Mayank Kundu said the deceased was one of three brothers whose two-and-a-half hectare land was jointly recorded under a single gata number. He added that no formal complaint had been filed by the farmer either at the Sadar tehsil or on IGRS, the state government’s online grievance redressal portal.
The deceased is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons, all engaged in farming. No arrest has been reported so far.
