Man dies allegedly by suicide near farmers' protest site at Singhu border

A body of a 45-year-old farmer has been found hanging near the Singhu border, the site where farmers have been protesting for the last one year against the agri laws, in Haryana’s Kundli police station area on Wednesday. According to an India Today report, the deceased has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Amroh district in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib. He is said to be a part of Sidhupur’s Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) unit that is headed by Jagjit Singh Dhalewal. Virender Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Law and Order, Sonipat, was quoted as saying, “As per preliminary information, it appears to be a case of suicide. A probe has been initiated.” Jagjit Singh Dallewal, BKU Ekta Sidhupur, Punjab state president, was quoted by Indian Express as saying that the dead farmer was associated with the union since the protests began. “He was regular at volunteering at morcha meetings and was part of protests in the village. He had been camping at the Singhu border since last year. He owned a small amount of land, and to make ends meet, he used to drive a school van before COVID-19 hit. This is a very unfortunate incident. The government should repeal the black laws immediately.” Last month, the body of a labourer was found tied to a barricade at the Singhu border with his hand chopped off and multiple wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons. Two members of the Nihang community had been arrested for the crime. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping Delhi’s borders — including Singhu and Tikri — since November 26 last year, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops. With inputs from agencies A collection of suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669