Maharashtra: Four years after farmer's death, 3 revenue officials booked for abetting his suicide

Over four years after a 67-year-old farmer from Murbad in Thane district of Maharashtra jumped to death in the local tehsil office. The police on Sunday registered a case of abetment to suicide against three revenue officials serving there in that period and another person on the direction of the state Human Rights Commission.

Thane: Over four years after a 67-year-old farmer from Murbad in Thane district of Maharashtra jumped to death in the local tehsil office, the police on Sunday registered a case of abetment to suicide against three revenue officials serving there in that period and another person on the direction of the state Human Rights Commission (MHRC), an officer said. Murbad police station senior inspector Datta Borate told reporters that no one was arrested so far.

The farmer, Ashok Desale, committed suicide on May 10, 2017, over alleged inaction by Revenue department officials in resolving a land dispute case in which he was allegedly cheated. Following Desale's death, his children approached the MHRC. "The abetment to suicide case was registered by the police based on the directions of the MHRC," confirmed Borate. The offence was registered against the then tehsildar Sarejerao Mhaske-Patil, his deputy Ajay Patil, staff member Nitin Ghanekar and one of his relatives who had allegedly grabbed the land of the deceased, the officer said.

PTI