In a distressing incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district, a man and his two sons allegedly attempted to commit suicide by hanging themselves from a tree on Tuesday. The act was reportedly a protest against a revenue department team and police who had arrived to demolish their house, which officials stated was built on government land.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that one of the three individuals involved is in critical condition and has been admitted to a government medical college for treatment.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the Jalalabad area, Prabhat Kumar Rai, confirmed that the man, identified as Dhanpal, had constructed a dwelling on government land in Magtora village. An eviction order for the encroachment had previously been issued by the tehsildar’s court. Dhanpal had subsequently approached the high court, which directed a fresh hearing of the case. Following the rehearing, the tehsildar’s court once again ordered the eviction.
According to officials, when the revenue department team, accompanied by police personnel, reached the village on Tuesday and asked Dhanpal to vacate the encroached land, the man became agitated. He then climbed a nearby tree and attempted to hang himself. His sons, Vivek and Durgesh, reportedly followed suit, also climbing trees and attempting to end their lives.
The presence of police personnel at the scene allowed for their intervention. Officials stated that the police managed to bring the three individuals down from the trees. Following this intervention and the apparent distress of the family, the demolition team reportedly returned without carrying out the eviction.
A video capturing the incident, showing the father and sons on the trees and police personnel attempting to dissuade them, circulated widely on social media platforms. The footage highlighted the tense confrontation and the drastic measures taken by the family in protest against the impending demolition of their home.
Former Samajwadi Party MLA Rajesh Yadav, who has been following the case, claimed that Dhanpal’s son, Vivek, sustained serious injuries during the suicide attempt and is currently undergoing treatment at the government medical college. Yadav reportedly visited the hospital to meet Vivek and has called for an investigation into the entire incident. The incident has brought to the fore the sensitive issue of land disputes and the potential for extreme reactions when livelihoods are threatened by official actions.
The Chenab Times News Desk