A lawyer from Punjab who was also the part of the ongoing farmers protest at Delhi borders allegedly died by suicide on Sunday, a few kilometres away from the protest site.
The lawyers who has been identifies as Amarjit Singh, a resident of Jalalabad in Fazilka district, Punjab reportedly consumed poison near the protest site, was rushed to hospital in Rohtak where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.
In his purported suicide note, the 63-year old lawyer said that he was ‘sacrificing his life’ to support the framers protest against the three farm laws so that the government is forced to listen to the people.
He said that the common people like the farmers and labourers are feeling ‘defrauded’ by the three new ‘black’ farm laws and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘listen to the voice of the people.’
The police are yet to verify the note which is dated December 18. A police officer from Haryana’s Jhajjar district told news agency PTI, “We have informed the relatives of the deceased and once they reach here, their statements will be recorded and further proceedings will be conducted.” He also said that the hospital authorities informed the police about the suicide.
In the farmers protests, earlier at least two suicides have been linked to the agitation near Delhi borders for over a month now.
Earlier, a 65-year-old Sikh priest, Sant Ram Singh had also allegedly died by suicide near the Singhu border protest site claiming that he was ‘unable to bear the pain of the farmers.’
A 22-year-old farmer also died by suicide in Bathinda, Punjab after he returned from the protest near Delhi birder.
Thousands of farmers who have braved police barricades, tear gas and the cold are protesting near the Delhi borders against the three farm laws for over a month now. The deadlock between the farmers and government has continued and the sixth round of discussion is scheduled for Tuesday.
The farmers feel that the new farm laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and leave them vulnerable to the corporations. The government has tried to reassure the farmers about the MSP.