A debt-ridden farmer of Chanarthal Kalan village in the district committed suicide today, seven months after his father had ended his life and six years after his brother took the extreme step.
Devinder Singh (32) hanged himself at home, allegedly due to harassment by commission agents (arhtiyas). He is survived by his mother, wife and a daughter. His father, Gurlabh Singh (55), had consumed poison during a protest against arhtiyas in Patiala last year.
Devinder’s brother-in-law Jaswinder Singh said the family had taken Rs 4 lakh from arhtiyas 10 years ago.
Under stress due to the debt burden, Devinder’s brother Gurpreet Singh committed suicide in 2011. As the family failed to repay, the arhtiyas made a pact with Gurlabh, promising to sell his 4-acre land and in return give him 10 acres in Mansa district after deducting the loan amount.
Jaswinder alleged that the agents sold the land, but did not keep their word. Gurlabh approached BKU (Dakaunda), which organised a dharna outside the arhtiyas’ house in Patiala last year. Gurlabh committed suicide during the dharna, following which 10 persons were booked.
Ram Singh Matorda of BKU said the union had taken up the case with Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib police officers, but to no avail.
