Poor farmer commits suicide, money lenders booked

Bathinda, Apr 18 (UNI) Two private money lenders were today booked in a case related to the suicide of a poor middle-age farmer, Guradita Singh of Kot Shamir village near here, who took his life by consuming poison yesterday.

The FIR lodged by the members of the 44-year-old deceased alleged that Guradita Singh took his own life as he faced harassment at the hands of two Bathinda-based 'arhtias' (money lenders) Girdhari Lal and his son.

Bathinda Sadar police has registered a case under section 306/34 IPC against the duo on the complaint of the deceased farmer's son Gurpreet Singh.

The farmer's body was handed over to the bereaved family members after post mortem at a civil hospital here. Guradita Singh's wife has died due to sickness a few months back.

As per the complaint, Guradita Singh was under pressure for the last few months as he was being harassed by the money lenders for not returning their money.

Yesterday, Guradita, unable to bear the ''mental torture,'' consumed poison at his home in the village, ten km from Bathinda.

According to the complaint, Guradita disclosed at the hospital, where he breathed his last, that he had consumed poison as he was being harassed by the 'arhtia' for not returning the loan amount.

A large number of farmers from Kot Shamir and nearby villages and local leaders and activists of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugraha) had yesterday reached the hospital where Guradita Singh breathed his last.

According to Bathinda police station SHO Sukhdev Singh, the police was investigating the case.

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