Uttarakhand: 2 SIs suspended, 10 cops transferred to reserve lines after farmer commits suicide

Rudrapur, Jan 12 (PTI) Two police sub-inspectors were suspended with immediate effect and 10 others taken off active duty on Monday in connection with the alleged suicide of a farmer in Uttarakhand's Haldwani district, officials said.

The farmer, Sukhwant Singh, 40, had in a video alleged that police had failed to take action on his complaint after he was duped of Rs 4 crore in a land scam.

The disciplinary action against the police personnel comes a day after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

Singh, a resident of Kashipur's Paiga village, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself on Sunday morning in a hotel room in the Kathgodam area, police said.

Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manikant Mishra said that Sub-Inspector Kundan Singh Rautela, in-charge of Kotwali ITI, and Sub-Inspector Prakash Bisht have been suspended with immediate effect, and department disciplinary action has also been initiated against both of them.

In addition, the entire police staff posted at Paiga police outpost under Kotwali ITI has been transferred to the reserve lines, including the in-charge Sub-Inspector Jitendra Kumar and a total of 10 officers and personnel, the SSP said.

Mishra said that the action has been taken on charges of serious negligence and indifference shown by the concerned police officers and personnel regarding the complaint filed by Sukhwant Singh regarding the alleged fraud committed against him in the name of land.

He said that negligence, insensitivity, or dereliction of duty at any level in the district will not be tolerated. It was the responsibility of police personnel to ensure the safety and justice, and strict action will be taken for any lapse in this regard, the SSP said.

The preliminary police investigation has revealed that the farmer, Sukhwant Singh, was under stress for a long time due to the alleged fraud of Rs 4 crore committed against him in the name of land.

According to a complaint filed in the case, Sukhwant Singh had allegedly given Rs 2.80 crore in cash and Rs 1.02 crore in bank transactions to property dealers and middlemen for purchasing a plot of land. But despite repeated requests, they neither registered the land nor returned the money, according to him.

The property dealers allegedly harassed Sukhwant and his brother physically and mentally, which caused him to go into deep depression and commit suicide, the complainant said.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 318(4) (cheating) of the BNS and have started an investigation into the matter.

Police said that before committing suicide, the farmer had also posted a video on social media, narrating his ordeal.

In the video that surfaced on the internet, Singh has accused some people of defrauding him of approximately Rs 4 crore in the name of a land deal.

He added that some people had shown him seven acres of land in Baksaura village, but the registration was done for a different plot.

He alleged that in this deal, he gave three crore rupees in cash and one crore rupees through a bank account.

Singh has also named the people who allegedly defrauded him through the deal.

In the video, Singh also claimed that he had complained to the Senior Superintendent of Police of Udham Singh Nagar and other police officers in this regard, but no action was taken.

Expressing his condolences to the farmer's family, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday assured them that the government stands with them during this difficult time.

He had also instructed the administration to provide all possible assistance to the affected family.

Dhami had sought detailed information from the Chief Secretary of the state, Anand Vardhan, and Director General of Police Deepam Seth, and had ordered a magisterial inquiry.

Dhami had also directed Kumaon Commissioner Deepak Rawat to conduct a magisterial inquiry and said that a "fair and transparent investigation" should be ensured, and strict action can be taken against the concerned person for any negligence.

Dhami directed the administration to provide all possible assistance to the farmer's family. PTI DPT SHS SKY SKY