Patiala: Auto-rickshaw driver commits suicide

PATIALA: Following economic crisis looming since over two months of lockdown, a 31-year-old auto-rickshaw driver committed suicide in Patiala. He allegedly failed to clear the rental dues of his rented house from the last three months, according to the police.
The police have identified the deceased as Rattan Kumar, 31 who was living in Babu Singh colony in Patiala from last one year. The police said that Rattan who used to run his auto-rickshaw could not clear the dues of Rs 6,500 as rent of the house as he did not earn a penny following lockdown. The police claimed that the house owner allegedly asked him repeatedly to pay the rent following which Rattan started remaining tensed from the last few days and on Sunday night he hanged himself to death.
Rattan had left behind his wife and a six-year-old daughter. The police claimed that the family was being provided with the food by the government during the lockdown however they were under pressure for not being able to clear the rental dues only. The police have booked the owner of the house under sections of abetment to suicide on the complaint of Rattan’s wife Manju.
“Rattan committed suicide by hanging himself to death with a ceiling fan. He was tensed as the owner had repeatedly asked him to clear the rental dues of three months. Rattan’s wife Manju used to work as a maid, especially babysitting in some houses in the city to earn their livelihood. Rattan’s father was a labourer. The post-mortem of the deceased has been carried out and the dead body is being handed over to the family members for cremation. The case against the house owner has been registered and soon he will be arrested. It is learned that the owner of the house was also a chef and used to earn by running his small Paying Guests”, said, PS Bajwa, Station House Officer Bakshiwala police station.