Uttar Pradesh: Dalit Farmer Crushed To Death Under Tractor Allegedly By Loan Recovery Agents

A Dalit farmer in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh was allegedly crushed to death under a tractor by loan recovery agents and died on Saturday, reports NDTV. The police quoted Om Prakash, the victim’s brother saying that the agents were sent by a private financier and were trying to squeeze the tractor bought by the farmer for Rs 5 lakh.

According to the report, Gyan Chandra, 45, took a loan from a private finance company in 2015 to purchase the tractor. He paid back Rs 4 lakh and promised to give the remaining sum soon. Police said that the agents reached Chandra’s home and asked to pay the due amount or to handover the tractor.

Loan recovery agents allegedly crushed a Dalit farmer Gyan Chandra,45, by tractor in Sitapur,Uttar Pradesh,after failing to repay a loan Rs 5 lakh which he had taken from a Finance company in due time pic.twitter.com/0VYf8FRTJQ

— bhanja mohanty (@MohantyBhanja) January 22, 2018

“We had deposited Rs 35,000 on January 10. My brother promised to pay the remaining amount soon. But they didn’t pay heed and snatched the keys. When they were driving away, one of the men pushed my brother, and he fell in front of the tractor. He was crushed to death in front of our eyes,” said Om Prakash.

The police have registered a case against the five recovery agents of the finance company. “There was an argument between the agents and the farmer which led to a scuffle. As they were taking away the tractor, one of the agents pushed the farmer in front of the tractor, and he died on the spot,” said MP Singh, a senior police officer.

According to the report by NDTV, Chandra was heading a family of seven members and owned 2.5 acres of land. Since the income derived from the land was not enough to meet the ends of the seven-member family, he worked in the fields of affluent farmers to make extra money.