india

Updated: Aug 30, 2019 01:05 IST

Alleging harassment by a retired policeman and his brother, a 62-year-old man committed suicide by consuming poison at Bareilly senior superintendent of police’s office on Wednesday night, officials said.

The incident comes two days after a Mathura couple had attempted self-immolation to protest against police apathy.

Hari Prasad Meena, a furniture trader at Subhash Nagar in Bareilly, was rushed to the Mission Hospital in the city where, he died during treatment, they said.

A case has been registered against former sub-inspector Ashok Kumar Saxena and his brother Rajiv Saxena on the basis of a complaint filed by Meena’s son Sanjay Meena, saying his father was being harassed and “hounded” by the duo to repay a loan he had taken from Rajiv Saxena.

According to the police, Meena had taken a loan of Rs. 200,000 from Rajiv Saxena on a high interest rate and that the father-son duo had gone to meet the SSP to lodge a complaint against the Saxenas.

“We have registered an FIR against Ashok Saxena, resident of BDA Colony, Bareilly, and his brother under IPC sections 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 10 of Moneylenders Act immediately after receiving the complaint. Unfortunately, the complainant died despite our efforts,” said SSP Shailesh Pandey.

The two have been arrested, news agency PTI quoted SP (rural) Sansar Singh as saying.

Pandey said Meena had apparently already consumed poison when he came to lodge his complaint. “He was accompanied by some media persons. We are investigating,” he said.

In his hand written complaint, Meena accused Ashok Kumar and Rajiv Saxena of torturing him and grabbing his property.

“I had taken a loan of ~1.50 lakh in instalments of Rs. 20,000, 30,000, 50,000 and again Rs. 50,000 from sub-inspector Saxena. I have paidRs. 4 lakh but he keeps asking for more money and has even grabbed my house,” reads the complaint, a copy of which is with HT.

(PTI contributed to this story)