AMRAVATI: Allegedly cheated and beaten up by orange merchants, a 55-year-old orange farmer of village Dhanegaon in Anjangaon Surji tehsil of the district committed suicide on Monday in a farm near a Ganesh temple in the village. Tragically, his younger brother suffered a heart attack after the farmer’s funeral and died on way to hospital.
Before ending his life, the farmer had written a note addressed to state school education minister Bacchu Kadu demanding justice.
Police identified the deceased farmer as Ashok Pandurang Bhoyar (55), and his younger brother Sanjay (50), who died of heart attack.
Accused was seen beating the farmer in CCTV footage
On the complaint of Ashok’s son Gaurav Ashok Bhoyar, Anjangaon Surji police have registered offences against orange merchants Sheikh Amin and Sheikh Gafur, and beat jamadar Deepak Shravan Jadhav. SPDO More is investigating the matter, DCP Shaun Ghuge said.
Police said the orange farmer who took poison had sold his orange crop to two Anjangaon Surji merchants, who allegedly plied him with liquor, and then forcibly took his signature on payment receipt. They also allegedly beat him up.
When Ashok reached Anjangaon police station to file a complaint on December 18 with the Dhanegaon police patil, he was allegedly beaten up by beat jamadar Deepak Jadhav in the police station itself. Bhoyar them wrote a note addressed to minister Bacchu Kadu demanding justice, went to a farm near Borala Ganapati temple and ended his life by consuming poison.
Residents of Dhanegaon thronged the police station and demanded registration of offences against Anjangaon PI and beat jamadar besides the orange merchants.
Tension mounted as villagers refused to accept Ashok’s body. Police then registered offence against Jadhav, who was see beating the farmer in CCTV footage of the police station, and the two orange merchants.
After Ashok’s funeral at Dhanegaon, his younger brother Sanjay suffered a heart attack. He died on way to Anjangaon hospital.