Moradabad: In a deeply disturbing incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, Chetan Saini died by suicide on Tuesday night (July 29) after local authorities demolished his shop during an anti-encroachment drive in the Mandi Samiti area.
As per reports, the 35-year-old fruit trader, also the brother of BJP Mandal Minister Gajendra Singh, allegedly jumped from his rooftop shortly after expressing despair in a final social media post.
“Everyone was devastated. The administration was enjoying itself. Now tell me, what should be done? Who is responsible for this destruction?” Saini had written in a Facebook post before taking his life.
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Saini's Family Mourns His Death
According to a report by Aaj Tak, the bulldozer action took place on Monday, July 28, targeting encroachments in the Mandi Samiti. The next day, Saini's shop was razed by the authorities, allegedly without prior warning. That night, Saini returned home late, visibly distraught. “He shared the news of the bulldozer running on the shop with the family and then went upstairs to sleep,” his family member said.
Around 1:00 am, neighbours and relatives were jolted by a loud sound. Saini was found lying on the road, bleeding. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
His brother and other family members accused the administration of high-handedness. “We begged them not to demolish our shops. But they didn’t listen,” said his brother.
Have a look at his reaction here:
Deputy CM Visits, Promises Action
The suicide sparked outrage in the area, especially given the victim's family's association with the ruling party. On Wednesday, July 30, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited Moradabad and met the grieving family at the post-mortem house.
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He termed the incident “unacceptable”, assuring assured strict action and said, “The culprits will not be spared under any circumstances. Arbitrariness by officials will not be tolerated."
The sequence of events began when, during a scuffle on Monday, the Mandi Samiti Secretary’s office was vandalised. CCTV cameras were damaged, leading to an administrative crackdown the next day, which resulted in the demolition of several shops, including Saini’s.
