Rajasthan farmer threatening suicide asked by police to pay ₹9.91 lakh for security
The farmer expressed distress after his house was demolished in November for a cement plant in Gothada village, Nawalgarh, without receiving compensation.
A farmer from Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan has been asked to pay ₹9.91 lakh for security arrangements made by the police to prevent him from dying by suicide, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
He had threatened to take his life over the non-payment of compensation for land acquisition.
Vidhyadhar Yadav expressed distress after his house was demolished in November to make way for a cement plant in Gothada village, Nawalgarh, without receiving compensation.
The farmer said that he was left with no choice but to request euthanasia, as all his land was taken and his house demolished without receiving any compensation.
Yadav stated that he never requested police deployment, for which he is now being charged.
He has since been provided with compensation of approximately ₹3.8 crore.
99 police personnel deployed
On December 17, the Superintendent of Police in Jhunjhunu issued a notice stating that 99 police personnel, including one Additional Superintendent of Police, two Deputy Superintendents of Police, two inspectors, three sub-inspectors, six assistant sub-inspectors, 18 head constables, and 67 constables, were deployed for Vidhyadhar Yadav's security.
Additionally, government vehicles were used, placing a financial burden on the state. The notice further mentioned that the ₹9,91,577 spent on his security would be recovered from him.
“The notice has been served for recovery because the police force was deployed for security,” SP Jhunjhunu Sharad Chowdhary said.
Yadav said that when the district administration and cement company officials failed to respond adequately regarding his compensation, he submitted a memorandum to the district collector on December 9, addressed to the president, threatening to end his life, with an ultimatum of 11 am on December 11.
“I had been frequently requesting the SDM and company officials to release the compensation amount, but there was no proper response, therefore I gave a memorandum to the district collector addressed to the President for euthanasia and gave an ultimatum till 11 December,” he said.
To prevent him from taking such drastic action, police were deployed in the village on December 11. Yadav attempted to set himself on fire but was stopped by the police.
"I did not demand security. The district administration and police made the arrangements and now the SP has given me a recovery notice," Yadav said.
(With PTI inputs)