‘Hungry’, migrant gives up on life, cops say he had a fight with wife

Ludhiana: A 38-year-old migrant labourer committed suicide by hanging himself from a window grille at his rented accommodation in Rajiv Gandhi Colony, Focal Point, on Saturday night.
His kin claimed that they were not getting ration due to which he committed suicide, but the police said he ended his life after a fight with his wife in a drunken state.
The deceased, identified as Ajit Rai, hailed from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and had no earning due to the lockdown. His wife and minor son alleged that Rai had made many rounds of police station for ration and also registered himself on helpline number 1905, but got nothing.
After his death, around 500 labourers crowded the Rajiv Gandhi Colony and staged a protest against the police, the district administration and the Punjab government. The labourers alleged that that there was no transparency in ration distribution.
Assistant commissioner of police (Industrial Area-A) Vaibhav Sehgal and Focal Point police station SHO inspector Mohammad Jamil reached the spot and pacified the protesters.
Savita, wife of the deceased, said, “For the past few days he was going to the police station to get ration and was upset because of it. I told him not to worry and we borrowed food from neighbours. After dinner on Saturday, he slept inside the room and I, along with both my sons, slept outside in the open. In the morning when I went inside, I found him hanging.”
However, police commissioner Rakesh Agarwal said, “The police found that the man had consumed liquor at night and fought with his wife. After that, his wife left the house and returned late at night.”
ADCP-IV Ajinder Singh said the ration distribution process was transparent and due to space constraint at police station, they had chosen a ground to disburse comestibles among the needy.
The police are investigating the case.