Official suggests farmer to ‘hang himself’ to get rid of problems

A government official in Bareilly allegedly suggested a farmer to ‘hang himself from a ceiling fan’ to put an end to worries related to his sugarcane farm. The incident reportedly happened when the farmer approached the government official with a complaint on November 27.

The aggrieved farmer Banwari Lal said he reported the matter to senior officials after which an investigation was ordered.

“I went to meet the additional sugarcane director of Bareilly, Satendra Singh, to talk about the incorrect survey of my sugarcane crop. That’s when he suggested that I could commit suicide,” said Lal.

To recall, a survey was done of standing sugarcane crop to assess the harvest deposited by farmers at various sugar mills and the payments received.

As a gesture of protest against the officer’s suggestion, Lal said he told him that he would act on his suggestion and end his life right there.

“Only half of my six-hectare sugarcane farm was surveyed by the officials despite repeated visits to the office of the additional director. So, I told the officer that I would commit suicide in his office itself,” said Lal.

Later, he also posted his version of the incident on facebook, drawing the attention of district officials who met him on Wednesday. 

“I heard the complaint regarding the behaviour of the officer and directed officials concerned to conduct an inquiry into the matter,” said district magistrate of Bareilly Virendra Kumar Singh.

“Apart from the complaint pertaining to the official’s behaviour, the farmer’s issues related to the survey have already been resolved,” he added.

Meanwhile, the accused officer has refuted the allegations. “I remember meeting Banwari Lal in my office, but I didn’t say anything objectionable to him,” Satendra Singh told HT over phone. “I don’t know why he made this complaint against me and I am ready to cooperate in any investigation in the matter,” he added.