With mounting debt, 3 of farmer’s family jump in front of train, die
Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 22
Three members of a family of Ghungran village in Ludhiana district, including a nine-year-old boy, died by suicide by jumping in front of a train near Ahmedgarh on Wednesday night.
The deceased were identified as Sukhpal Singh (35), his wife Sukhdeep Kaur (32) and their only child Baljot Singh (9).
According to family sources, the couple took the drastic step due to a fast-mounting debt burden.
Having failed to live a dignified life with the income from around two acres of farmland, Sukhpal had started fabricating elevators at a small scale by availing loans from various sources.
Though the exact amount of loans was yet to be ascertained, the gap between assets and liabilities of the family seemed to have widened to an extent where persistent pressure from lending agencies abetted the couple to take the extreme step on Wednesday night.
Jatinder Pal Singh Babbu, Sukhpal’s cousin, said the news about the tragedy had come as a shock for the family. “What was more shocking for us is how my cousin and his wife dared to take their son along for the most tragic step,” he said.
Robby Dhand, a passenger travelling from Ludhiana to Ahmedgarh in the train, said the driver had tried to save the trio by braking hard but in vain. The family had parked their car near the railway crossing before jumping in front of the train.
Village residents said the family had waited at the Kila Raipur railway station earlier to wait for the train but later decided to move to a deserted place on finding some passengers there.
Ahmedgarh railway police chowki in-charge Gurmail Singh said the authorities at the GRP, Ludhiana, had initiated inquest proceedings under Section 194 of the BNS and the bodies would be handed over to the next of kin after the autopsy.
Sad state of affairs
Having failed to live a dignified life with the income from around two acres of farmland, Sukhpal had started fabricating elevators at a small scale by availing loans from various sources.
