Forced to strip by forest officials, man commits suicide in Jaipur

Jaipur, Oct 3 (PTI) A 26-year-old man died by suicide after allegedly being beaten and forced to strip by forest officials for grazing goats in a restricted area, police said on Friday.

Following the suicide, the villagers took to violent protests and vandalised a forest office and later clashed with police, officials said on Friday. The department suspended three officials, Jaipur Rural SP Rashi Dogra said.

The victim's family has agreed for a post mortem following their compensation demands were met after talks with the police and administration, Dogra said.

The deceased, identified as Vikram from Kushalpura village in Raisar, was allegedly beaten by two forest personnel on Thursday afternoon. Officials said he was forced to strip and fined after his goats strayed into the forest area.

"Vikram had called his family informing them about the fine. Later, he called the police control room, saying he had been humiliated and would end his life. When he did not respond to follow-up calls, his location was tracked. He was later found hanging from a tree," a police official said.

The incident sparked outrage among locals. Late Thursday night, angry villagers stormed the Raisar forest range office, vandalised property and forced forest staff to flee.

On Friday morning, they staged a sit-in outside the office demanding strict action against the officials and compensation for the family.

The protest escalated by afternoon when hundreds of villagers marched to the Raisar police station, accusing police of negligence.

"The mob turned violent, pelted stones and forced police personnel to retreat temporarily. We had to use mild force and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd," Jaipur Rural SP Rashi Dogra Dudi said.

She added that around 10 people were detained for disturbing the peace, and the situation is now under control. "We are in talks with the family members and maintaining law and order in the area," the SP said.

Local MLA Mahendra Pal Meena also reached the protest site and later met senior police officials, while villagers continued to demand justice for the victim. PTI AG HIG HIG