Haryana Man Dies of Burns, 4 Accused Part of Farmers’ Protests

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), however, has denied these claims, asserting that the man died by suicide.

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

A 42 year-old man succumbed to burn injuries in Haryana's Jhajjar on Wednesday, 16 June, after four men purportedly doused him with inflammable chemicals.

The four accused are reportedly part of the ongoing farmers' agitation at Tikri border near Delhi.

The Haryana Police has registered a murder case against four men, of which one has been identified so far. The deceased, who has been identified as Mukesh, a resident of Kasra village of Jhajjar, the police told PTI.

SKM’s Response

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), however, has denied these claims, asserting that Mukesh died by suicide.

The SKM, the umbrella organisation heading the farmers' agitation, said that the allegations levelled against the farmers' body were merely a ploy to defame the resistance movement.

SKM leaders Darshan Pal and Balbir Singh Rajewal alleged that the deceased set himself ablaze and noticing this, the protest members had rushed to put out the fire and save the man's life.

“As part of the continuous efforts to defame and slander the ongoing farmers’ movement, an unfortunate case of suicide by a local villager is being used by the BJP/JJP government, its political agents and their troll army to somehow implicate the farmers’ movement.”

Samyukt Kisan Morcha

The farmers' body appealed to the public to not believe in the slanderous reports that have been advanced against its members. It also called upon the Haryana government to conduct a fair investigation of the incident.

(With inputs from PTI)