A potato trader ended his life over alleged police atrocities in Agra while a farmer and his wife hanged themselves at their home in Budaun on Wednesday.
In Agra, Charan Singh (50) of Kheria area used to trade in potatoes and his body was found hanging from an electric pole of the village on Wednesday evening.
Soon after, hundreds of farmers gathered at the spot and marched to Khandauli police station to stage a demonstration. They alleged that police excesses had forced the trader to end his life.
Singh had a money-related dispute with another trader from Chandausi and the latter got a case registered against Singh at Chandausi police station.
On Tuesday night, cops from Chandausi and Khandauli police stations raided Singh’s house. On not finding him, they picked up his brothers Rajpal and Rajender and tortured them at the police station.
The family said that when Singh was informed about this over phone, he was so upset that he did not return home and on Wednesday evening, they learnt that his body was hanging from an electric pole.
The family asked that when Singh was named why were his brothers taken to the police station?.
They told the officials that they were not criminals but traders and hence he should have been called to the police station instead of raiding his home and harassing the entire family.
The issue was resolved only after senior officials reached the spot and assured the protesters of a probe and strict action against the errant cops.
Meanwhile in Budaun, farmer Zabir (25) and his wife Asma (22) hanged themselves at their home in Maikalan village late Wednesday night.
Zabir’s father visited the house to check on the couple as his son did not go to his farm in the morning. After getting no response from inside the house, the father entered the house through the terrace and found their bodies hanging.
The kin told the police that the couple had a dispute which was being probed.
The bodies were sent for autopsy.