Dalit UP farmer commits suicide

Two years ago, Mansaram’s father and two neighbours had taken a loan to buy a tractor. But the bank auctioned off the tractor and his l...

Two years ago, Mansaram’s father and two neighbours had taken a loan to buy a tractor. But the bank auctioned off the tractor and his land for a paltry sum when they failed to repay the debt. Mansaram (20) killed himself on Wednesday — the first-ever case of farmer suicide in UP.

The inquiry committee has found the district administration guilty of not following procedures while auctioning off the land. And CM Mulayam Singh Yadav has suspended the DM of Barabanki and five senior officials. But this is too little action, coming too late for Mansaram’s family. His 60-year-old father, Kallu, has been numbed by the shock.

For a loan of Rs 3.4 lakh, Kallu had to pledge his six-and-a-half beegha of land with the UP Sahkari Gram Vikas Bank. His share was Rs 1.10 lakh.

Story continues below this ad

Bank officials say while Rs 3.4 lakh was disbursed, the sum evaluated for the tractor was Rs 2.7 lakh. The bank issued a Recovery Certificate in June. Then on, it did not follow any procedure for auctioning. As per rules, it were to issue a legal notice and plant a flag on the property but the probe panel says the bank auctioned off the land on the sly.

Even Kallu’s family was not aware their land has been sold. When Mansaram was stopped from working on his field on July 23, he went to the Ramnagar Tehsil office, where he was informed their land has been auctioned. The next day, Mansaram committed suicide.

The CM has cancelled the auction and announced Rs 1 lakh as compensation.

Men who opened fire outside actor Disha Patani’s home killed in encounter in Ghaziabad

Cities3 hr ago

Two men belonging to the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar Gang were killed in an encounter in Ghaziabad, suspected to be involved in the firing outside Disha Patani's residence. The duo, identified as Ravindra and Arun, were wanted in multiple cases and were spotted by the police through CCTV footage. UP CM Yogi Adityanath had directed for a speedy investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.

View all shorts

Live Blog