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UP farmer ‘mysteriously’ catches fire amid revenue department's efforts to evict him from encroached land
The farmer, Satyabhan, was residing on cooperative society land with his family for the past several decades.
An elederly farmer from Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh “mysteriously” caught fire even as the revenue department reached his hut to evict him and his family, an official said Friday.
The incident took place Thursday in Khushipura village under the Jaint police station area, PTI reported. The farmer, Satyabhan, was residing on cooperative society land with his family.
The farmer and his family had been staying in a hut on Khandsari Cooperative Society land for several decades, PTI quoted Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh as saying.
A team comprising Naib Tehsildar Anmol Garg, kanungo Rajendra and lekhpal Kapil arrived at the village with police force to force Satyabhan to vacate the land.
Farmer, his daughter-in-law sustain burn injuries during efforts to vacate
When the team began evicting the eviction, Satyabhan's family members put up a protest, following which a crowd gathered around their hut.
During the chaos, Satyabhan caught fire under “mysterious” circumstances.
Following this, the team attempted to extinguish the fire, in assistance with the villagers and the farmer's family members. Satyabhan's daughter-in-law, who also tried to save him, sustained burn injuries during her efforts.
Satyabhan was rushed to a local hospital and later referred to SN Medical College, Agra. His daughter-in-law is also receiving treatment at the district hospital, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the farmer's son, Pushpraj, accused some of the villagers who had gathered of setting the hut on fire after sprinkling diesel. He further alleged that the villagers had wanted to sell the land where the famer's family had been residing for about 30 years.
Pushpraj also demanded that a case be registered against the accused, according to PTI.
Following the incident, kanungo and lekhpal were suspended on account of negligence by the DM, who ordered Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Pankaj Tripathi to look into the matter and submit a report on the same within 24 hours.
