Fearing impending demolition of his home, 70-year-old dies by suicide in Khori village

A 70-year-old resident of Faridabad’s Khori village died by suicide on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. His relatives have alleged he took the step due to extreme stress over the impending demolition of structures in the village, including his home, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

Police officials said an FIR has been registered in the matter “against the property dealer who sold him government land fraudulently.”

According to the relatives, the deceased, Ganeshilal, hailed from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and used to knit charpais (cots) and ran a kirana store outside his home. He had been living in a shanty in Khori village for the last 15 years, along with his two sons and their wives. The family had only recently built a brick house for themselves. His wife had died ten months ago.

“We had moved to our current residence only a month ago, after our father invested around Rs 2 lakh, which he took on loan. We have built this house brick by brick ourselves, we have done labour in our own home in the middle of Coronavirus. After we heard that our house was in danger of being demolished along with the other houses in the village, our father had been very worried and stressed out,” said his son, Rajesh.

Around 7 am, Ganeshilal’s family was alerted of his death by a child, who came across his body, hanging from a tree, as he passed their house.

“We were all sleeping inside, when a child started calling us, and claimed that our father was hanging from a tree opposite our house. We rushed out and found what he was saying was true,” said Rachna, Ganeshilal’s daughter in law.

“We have been living in this village for more than 15 years. Where is the government expecting us to go? We will remain here only. If they want us to move, we will see what to do, when we get to that stage. We will deal with that when we come to it,” she said.

Rajesh added, “The government should have understood the plight of people residing here. Today, our father has committed suicide, tomorrow someone else will do it. We are all in the same position. How many will have to die before they understand?”

Sube Singh, PRO of Faridabad Police, said that the body has been handed over to his family after an autopsy.

“The postmortem of the deceased has been conducted and his body has been handed to his family. An FIR has been registered at the Surajkund police station against the property dealer who sold them government land fraudulently,” said Sube Singh, PRO of Faridabad Police.

On June 7, the Supreme Court had directed the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad to remove encroachments on the “subject forest land without any exception” within six weeks. There has been heavy police deployment in the area ever since. On Tuesday, activist Nirmal Gorana was arrested for allegedly “conspiring” to “disturb the peace of the city” and instigating people to not accept the Supreme Court decision at a gathering in the village. An FIR had also been registered against six other people, and “100-150” others, who were a part of the gathering that he was addressing.