Jaipur: Suicide of farmers has been a major concern in India over the years.
As per National Crime Records Bureau data, 100,474 farmers took their lives between 2014 and 2022 – more than 11,000 every year – mostly due to their inability to repay loans.
But what happened in in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district recently was not only rare but bizarre.
A farmer, who was demanding euthanasia, was fined Rs 9.91 lakh by police who came to prevent him from taking his life.
Farmer Vidhyadhar Yadav and his family sat on a funeral pyre on December 10, demanding euthanasia. The novel protest was over a compensation dispute for their land, allegedly owed by Shree Cement Company.
An extensive police deployment was arranged, in order to dissuade the family from setting them on fire.
Jhunjhunu SP Sharad Chowdhary issued a notice to Yadav, citing an order from the Rajasthan government.
The notice stated that the protest required deployment of 99 police personnel, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), along with the use of official vehicles. This resulted in an additional financial burden on the state treasury.
Hence, the government demanded that the farmer deposit Rs 9,91,577 in the accounts branch of the SP office by December 24.
The notice added that legal action will be taken as per rules if the amount is not paid within stipulated period.
The SP said that the first-of-its-kind notice has been issued following regulations.
The farmer’s protest earlier prompted the cement company to agree to pay Rs 3 crore as compensation.
Now, Vidhyadhar and his family are in shock after receiving the government notice.
