12 handicapped vendors attempt suicide, probe ordered

Varanasi, July 31 (UNI) A magisterial probe was today ordered into the matter of attempted suicide by 12 physically challenged street-side vendors in the Gurubag area here.

Radhey, alias Rajesh Maurya, one of 12 physically challenged vendors who allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poisonous substance and died during the course of treatment at the district hospital, District Magistrate Veena Kumari Meena said here.

Two of the remaining 11 vendors were stated to be in critical condition at the Heritage hospital, while the others were also being treated at the Heritage and District hospitals.

''Investigations are on to ascertain which poisnous substance was actually consumed by the group of physically challenged vendors, even when the district administration had on July 28 last assured them of preparing a rehabilitation plan in the event of removal of their shops under the anti-encroachment drive of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN),'' Ms Meena added.

''A magisterial probe headed by ADM (City) Indra Vikram Singh has been ordered to look into the matter,'' she informed.

Earlier, in the day 12 physically challenged vendors -- Gurudev, Nasim, Ram Chand, Tribhuwan, Namo Upadhayay, Khalil-ur-Rehman, Bharat, Ramesh, Mangroo, Mohsin, Satish and Radhey alias Rajesh Kumar Maurya -- attempted suicide by consuming the poisnous substance in the Gurubag area under Luxa police station.

After knowing to know about the incident, Police Superintendent (City) Arun Pandey rushed to the spot and lugged the vendors in unconscious state to the district hospital, where during the course of treatment Radhey died.

Meanwhile in a new turn to the entire episode, Senior Police Superintendent S B Shirodkar told mediapersons that initial investigations suggested the vendors have not attempted suicide on their own but have been provoked to resort to the extreme step.

''Several persons, including leaders of the physically challenged vendors and a few electronic media scribes have been identified in this connection against whom action will be taken through registeration of criminal cases,'' the SSP said not ruling out the involvement of other persons including some municipal councillors.

''Some of those who allegedly attempted suicide are not even vendors but merely beggars who were lured to consume the poisonous substance for money as compensation in future, while one of them also told the police that he was told to consume the poisonous substance by some leaders who claimed that it was not poison but something else,'' Mr Shirodkar added.

Meanwhile, a section in the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) linked the entire episode to the ongoing cold war between Municipal Commissioner Lalji Rai and a large group being led by municipal councillors supportive of Varanasi mayor and BJP leader Kaushalendra Singh.

''The physically challenged vendors apprehensive of demolition of their shops by the VNN have been used as guinea pigs by their leaders at the behest of a large group lobbying against the Municipal Commissioner,'' a former VNN corporator said.

Enraged by the incident, the other street-side physically challenged vendors blocked the road outside the district hospital and later staged demonstration in the hospital campus demanding sacking of Mr Rai.

''Earlier also when Mr Rai was the municipal commissioner of Varanasi, he ordered bulldozing of our shops and now again he is conspiring to do the same. He is solely responsible for today's episode and we demand that Mr Rai should be immediately sacked from his post,'' Hardayal Singh and Ravi Banerjee, two leaders of the vendors demanded.

Municipal commissioner Mr Rai, however, termed the entire episode to be part of a larger conspiracy by a strong group in VNN hell-bent at preventing the passage of development work.

UNI