Assaulted by villagers, ‘beldar’ dies in Fazilka district

A groundsman (beldar), Udik Singh, posted in the Canal Department, who was allegedly abused and assaulted by some villagers in the presence of senior officers in Mahuana Bodla village of Fazilka district later died.

Bharatvir Singh, son of the deceased, has said in a statement recorded at Arinwala police station that his father had been assigned to perform duty at Bhagsar minor canal.

Bharatvir alleged that some farmers — Major Singh, Navdeep Singh, Shivcharan Singh, Jagveer Singh and Jashan — and five unidentified persons allegedly assaulted his father and abused him on some canal issue in the presence of the Executive Engineer and SDO of the department at the Mahuana Bodla village on September 11.

The deceased’s son has alleged that due to the alleged humiliation and manhandling by the accused, as soon as his father returned home, his health suddenly deteriorated. He was admitted to a private hospital in Muktsar, where he was declared dead.

Meanwhile, the accused have been booked under Section 108 of the BNS (abetment to suicide).