BHOPAL: Two days after a 40-year-old man Rajendra Rajput allegedly committed suicide following a violent clash with an elderly Dalit man in Vidisha district of poll bound Madhya Pradesh, leaders of the Samanya Pichra Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj (SAPAKS) Party have alleged that Rajput killed self out of the fear of getting booked and arrested under the amended SC/ST Atrocities Act.
The incident happened in Gajar Moondra village under Vidisha Kotwali police station area on Friday, where Rajput, an upper caste man had a violent brawl with Dalit man Sunderlal Ahirwar (60). Ahirwar sustained injuries in the clash.
Coming to know about the brawl, a Dial 100 emergency police vehicle rushed to the village and the cops found that Ahirwar had sustained injuries in an attack by Rajput. Suddenly, the cops were informed that Rajput had committed suicide by hanging self inside his house. The cops rushed to the spot and seized the body for autopsy.
On Sunday, a team of SAPAKS Party, including senior leaders Vijay Vate and Veena Ghanekar went to the concerned village in Vidisha district and met with Rajput’s kin. The duo SAPAKS Party leaders alleged that as per information collected from the village, including statements of the deceased man’s kin, Rajput committed suicide after being told by villagers that he would be booked under the amended SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Ahirwar’s complaint and subsequently be arrested.
The Vidisha district superintendent of police Vineet Kapoor told The New Indian Express on Sunday that the matter has been registered under Section 174 of CrPc and investigations are underway. As of now, nothing has come to fore that could suggest that Rajput ended life out of fear of being booked under SC/ST Atrocities Act, added Kapoor.
The two SAPAKS Party leaders demanded Rs one crore compensation to Rajput’s family and booking of Ahirwar under Section 306 of IPC for having provoked Rajput to commit suicide.
They also announced that prayers in the memory of Rajput would be organized in every district of MP and vowed to intensify the ongoing anti-SC/ST Atrocities Act stir in the state.
Importantly, SAPAKS Party, which is spearheading the anti-SC/ST Act protests in the state, has decided to contest all 230 seats in the November 28 assembly polls in the state.