CHANDIGARH: A dairy farmer in Himachal Pradesh who tested negative for COVID-19 ended his life on Sunday after villagers allegedly blamed him for spreading the virus. Dilshad Muhamud of Bangarh village in Una district of the state had reportedly met two attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi's Markaz.
Police sources said that Muhamud, who belonged to the Gujjar community hung himself in his house after villagers had stopped buying milk from him. He was a native of the village and also a Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholder. His community lived and sold milk in Una and nearby Punjab.
"On April 2, Dilshad was taken by the local police to the regional hospital in Una for COVID-19 testing. After his report came negative, the police dropped him back to his place in an ambulance on Saturday,’’ said a police officer.
The deceased’s family members allege that Dilshad was insulted by the villagers because of which he resorted to suicide, further adding that he met everyone in the morning after which he went to offer namaz, locking the door behind him. His family members got suspicious as he didn't come out for a long time. They broke open the door and found him hanging from the ceiling.
"We are being victimized and people were not buying milk from us. It was the only source of income. Dilshad was tested negative and he never visited the congregation in Delhi. Despite this, the harassment continued and he could not take it anymore,’’ said a family member.
It is learnt that a case is likely to be registered after a postmortem is done.
Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Jeevan Aastha helpline 1800 233 3330.