Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): A tribal man allegedly committed suicide in Khargone district following which his family members and locals claimed he took the extreme step after the Forest Department demolished his house being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
However, Divisional Forest Officer Prashant Kumar Singh said the man, identified as Dhyan Singh (45), had encroached upon forest land.
The encroachment was removed about a month back and a notice had also been served to the man to know his version, he said.
After the man hanged himself at his home in Navalpura village on Tuesday afternoon, Khargone district collector Kumar Purushottam ordered a magisterial inquiry into it, Kasrawad's sub divisional officer (revenue) Agrim Kumar said.
The deceased's son, Raju Dhyan Singh, alleged that the Forest Department had demolished their house sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a government housing scheme, without any prior notice and also beat up his parents.
He claimed that his father took the extreme step after being harassed by the Forest Department.
Gopalpura's panchayat secretary Munnalal Sisodia said the deceased was allocated an amount as the first instalment under the PMAY for the house, but the Forest Department demolished the initial construction.
Sub-divisional officer Kumar said after the man committed suicide, locals staged a protest and a road blockade, accusing Forest officials of harassing him.
Kumar said he will submit the inquiry report to the district collector within 15 days.
Tribal political outfit Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti's local functionary Dayaram Kurku said they have submitted a memorandum to the administration and demanded registration of a case of abetment of suicide against forest officials.
The outfit also demanded a government job for the son of the deceased and assistance of Rs 50 lakh for the family.
Meanwhile, Khargone's sub divisional magistrate Narayan Singh Badkul said villagers ended the protest after local administration officials persuaded them.
He said the collector also sanctioned an immediate financial assistance of Rs 25,000 for the deceased's family from the District Red Cross fund and initiated a process to provide other help as per the rules, he said.
Khargone's superintendent of police Dharmveer Singh said the police were investigating the case from all possible angles.
Nothing can be said conclusively as a probe is underway into the case, he said.
