A Kashipur-based farmer, Sukhwant Singh, died by suicide after shooting himself in a hotel room in Nainital in the early hours of Sunday. A video recorded by him before his death, alleging police inaction and harassment in connection with an alleged ₹4-crore land fraud, has since gone viral.
In the video, Singh says, “I am a farmer and I am dead. Yes, I am dead. You are watching this video after my death. Along with me, my wife and son have also committed suicide. A gang in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, has defrauded me of ₹4 crore. Of this, ₹3 crore was paid in cash and ₹1 crore was transferred to their account. They showed me one piece of land but gave me another.”
Singh, a resident of Paiga area in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, named several individuals in the video and alleged that he was cheated of ₹4 crore in a land deal. He further claimed that the police, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Udham Singh Nagar, failed to help him and instead harassed him and his family.
“For the past four months, the police have been harassing us. After our death, sell all the body parts of mine, my wife and our son, and give the money to the SSP, the station officer of ITI Police Station and their staff,” Singh said in the video, making grave allegations against the police.
He also demanded a CBI inquiry, alleging collusion between senior police officials and those who had allegedly defrauded him. “I only want justice,” he said.
In the video, Singh levelled serious allegations against 26 named individuals, including eight women, as well as senior police officials, including SSP Manikant Mishra and the station officer of ITI Police Station, Rautela.
He alleged that when he approached the ITI police station with his complaint, no action was taken, his family was misbehaved with, and they were detained for hours. He also claimed that his complaint to the SSP yielded no result and alleged that the police had taken money from the accused parties.
Concluding the video, Singh said, “All these people are responsible for my suicide. Our souls will not find peace until action is taken against them.”
According to police, Sukhwant Singh had checked into Devbhoomi Hotel in Nainital with his wife, Pradeep Kaur, and their 12-year-old son on Saturday. At around 2:30 am on Sunday, he allegedly took out his firearm and fired at his son.
Kaur reportedly pushed the boy away, sustaining injuries herself while saving him. She managed to escape the room with the injured child, after which Singh shot himself dead at point-blank range.
Taking serious note of the viral video, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. He said the investigation had been handed over to Kumaon Commissioner and senior IAS officer Deepak Rawat.
“An impartial and transparent investigation, taking into account all facts and circumstances of the incident, must be conducted to uncover the complete truth. Strict action will be taken against all those found responsible,” the Chief Minister said.