Protesters demand case against Akali MLA

Two weeks after a vegetable vendor allegedly committed suicide in Kotkapura, a large number of residents of Sibian village  held a protest march and blocked traffic at the main chowk of Faridkot.

They were demanding the registration of a case against Kotkapura Akali MLA Mantar Singh Brar and Kotkapura Market Committee chairman Jaspal Singh Maur.

The protestors and family members of the deceased alleged that Jagroop Singh had committed suicide on February 1 as he was being harassed by some employees of the Market Committee at the behest of the Akali MLA and the chairman.

The protesters alleged that due to the financial crunch in the wake of demonetisation, Jagrooop was unable to meet the undue demands of both the accused and due to the pressure, he ended his life. The deceased belongs to Sibian village of Faridkot.

In his suicide note, Jagroop alleged that his fruit business had been badly hit due the demonetisation drive and he was unable to the meet the undue demands of Market Committee employees. A day before Jagroop had committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance, it is alleged that all his account books were forcibly taken away by an employee of the market committee in Kotkapura.

On the basis of the suicide note, the police had booked Trilochan Singh, an employee of the Market Committee, for harassing the deceased. The protesters alleged that even after two weeks of registering this case, the police did not arrest Trilochan under the pressure of the Akali MLA and the Market Committee chairman.

Mantar Singh Brar and Jaspal Singh Maur have denied the allegations, saying they have nothing to do with the case. However, protesters alleged that the Akali MLA and the chairman were taking services of the employees to collect money from shopkeepers in Kotkapura. Maur said the employees had visited the shop of the deceased, asking him to pay the pending market committee fee.