A farmer committed suicide on Thursday in Agra after a tractor of concessioner of the UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited destroyed his potato and wheat fields. District administration was unable to provide financial aid, and has ask the government owned power company to compensate the deceased's family.

AGRA: A farmer committed suicide on Thursday in Agra after a tractor of concessioner of the UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited destroyed his potato and wheat fields. District administration was unable to provide financial aid, and has ask the government owned power company to compensate the deceased's family. Identified as Vinod Bhaghel of Chaubepura village of Jaitpur block, married with three daughters and a son (all below the age of 11), was found hanging from a high tension electricity tower in his farm. Speaking to TOI, gram Pradhan of the village Kanchan Singh said, "Vinod had taken loan on his three bigha land to sow crop in his field, but on Wednesday, a tractor hired by government for installing high tension wire on towers, crushed and destroyed his standing crop which extremely disheartened him." "When Vinod asked to compensate for his loss, the government undertaking claimed to provide only Rs 3,000 after which on Thursday, under tremendous mental pressure he hanged himself from electricity tower in his farm field," claimed gram Pradhan. Though Umashankar, sub divisional magistrate of Bah under whose jurisdiction Jaitpur block comes, gave contrary reason for his death. He said, "The man was drunk and was under financial and family pressure. Though tractor did destroyed a part of his standing crop, but committing suicide was purely for different reason." He said, "Since he has committed suicide, government can't grant any compensation to his family. Though we will write letter to CM, to provide financial relief to his family on humanitarian ground." "We have also asked UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited, to compensate the family, as it was their tractor who destroyed Vinod's crop," he added. When contacted to S C Bhardwaj manager of UPPTCL, he said, "Whatever the government order, we will act accordingly to it." Meanwhile, superintendent of police of rural Agra, Akhilesh Narayan Singh, said, "Though a written complaint was given by village Pradhan on Vinod's death, but an FIR will only be written after thorough investigation." He said, "We are still waiting for the post mortem report of Vinod, though prima facie it looks death due to asphyxiation." Talking to TOI, Gangashri wife of deceased Vinod Bhaghel, said, "Our land is mortgage to local sahukar and there is no one to care of my four children. I beg to government, to please help me and provide me financial aid immediately, or we will die of hunger and without land."