WATCH | Police brutality: Farmer and wife drink poison after cops beat and destroy their crops

Rajkumar Ahirwar has been practicing cultivation on a piece of land in Guna which is owned by the State government. The Guna administration had ordered the setting up of a Model College on the piece of land and reportedly there were previous attempts made to vacate the land.

On Tuesday afternoon, a sudden encroachment of Guna Municipality, the Hatao Squad arrived here under the leadership of SDM and started running JCB on the crop sown by the prince. When Rajkumar resisted, he was caught by the police.

Rajkumar said that this is his ancestral land. His great-grandfather has been cultivating this land and he does not have any lease. 

“No one came when the land was lying vacant. I have taken a loan of 4 lakh rupees. Now the crop has sprouted and bulldozer was operated on it. There are 10-12 people in my family butI have no other way but to commit suicide”

Later, he went to the hut built in the field and drank the insecticide kept in the bottle there. Seeing the husband drinking poison, his wife also drank the insecticide. It was too late when the cops who had come to remove the encroachment reached. Both of them refused to go to the hospital but Police dragged both of them to the hospital by car. Rajkumar’s wife’s condition is said to be critical in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the police have registered FIRs against Rajkumar, his wife Sabitri and other locals present at the spot. Among other charges, Section 353 of the IPC (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, Section 309 of the IPC (Attempt to suicide) have been added to the FIR.

However, under Section 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, “any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under” the Indian Penal Code.

IG Gwalior Range Rajababu Singh said, “The video has been clipped and is being shared as police wielding lathis on locals but the police were actually trying to shoo away the people who were resisting the cops from taking the unconscious farmer couple to the hospital.”

Singh said, “I have asked a team of police officers to visit the spot and probe the matter.”

Former MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath took a dig at CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging him of running a “jungle raj” in the state.