Smartphones and cheap internet access have become formidable weapons with which common people defend themselves, and seek accountability, from the authorities and those who enjoy unchecked power.

A video showing police personnel in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna brutally thrashing the family members of a Dalit couple, who consumed poison in front of the police team and the local administration to deter them from bulldozing their crops, went viral a few days ago.

What really happened?

Rajkumar Ahirwar, 38, and his wife Savitri Bai, 35, had leased 10 acres of land in Nankhedi village of Jaganpur gram panchayat in Cantt area of Guna district, about 200 kilometres away from Bhopal. This piece of land owned by the state government was encroached on by a man named Gabbu Pardi. The land was allotted by the government to the department of education for the construction of a college.

On Tuesday, July 14, officials from the revenue department arrived at the spot, along with police teams, to reclaim the land after due demarcations, and evict the family from the government-owned property.

When the authorities arrived, Pardi let Rajkumar and family resist the eviction. Rajkumar and his brother Shishupal had sown soybean and maize on this land. Seeing the officials ordering to bulldoze their crops, Rajkumar frantically requested them not to ruin the crops. The officers did not give in to his pleadings, and Rajkumar and his wife Savitri consumed the poisonous pesticide reserved for the crops.

The police wanted to take both of them to the hospital immediately but, some family members, including Shishupal, tried to stop the police. Shishupal pushed away a policewoman, and the police charged at them.

Savitri told reporters the family did not know the land belonged to the government. “We leased it from him (Gabbu Pardi). We had taken a loan of three lakh rupees for cultivation, so we were begging the officials to give us two more months so that we could leave after harvesting,” she said.

When asked by a reporter why they had sown the field despite their earlier crop of wheat also been uprooted similarly, Savitri replied: “To repay the debt of three lakh rupees. If the government does not help us, we would have to consume poison and die. How would we feed so many children—we don’t even have a ration card or a shack to our name.”

Who is Gabbu Pardi? What is the dispute actually about?

According to a notification issued by the Guna district administration, the area was sanctioned in the name of Naveen Adarsh Mahavidyalaya. This piece of government land was unlawfully occupied by Gabbu Pardi. The Tehsildar had carried out eviction proceedings once in November 2019 but, Pardi managed to recapture the land.

When the commissioner of higher education of Madhya Pradesh wrote to the district administration informing that if the construction of the college does not begin by June 2020, the 12 crore rupees allotted for this would be passed on to other districts. That is when the focus was back on this piece of land.

Following the ultimatum, the district administration rushed to reclaim the land to hand it over to the education department.

S Vishwanathan, the Guna district collector, had told Gaon Connection on July 15 that he had conducted an inquiry into the matter at his own level. He told us that Pardi, officially, owns 91 acres of land. Pardi lives in a sprawling mansion spread over three acres. He had illegally occupied the land in question and handed it to Rajkumar.

“The investigation primarily shows Pardi wanted Rajkumar and his wife to die on the spot so that the case would change its course. The police managed to take them to a hospital and their lives were saved,” Vishwanathan said. He also told us that a case has been registered against Pardi and assured stern action against him at the earliest.

However, the police registered FIR against Rajkumar, his wife Savitri, and others present at the spot as well. They have added Indian Penal Code Sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 309 (Attempt to suicide) to the FIR.

“Since members of Ahirwar family tried to die of suicide by consuming pesticide, it needed to be brought to the official records,” Vishwanathan said when Gaon Connection raised the issue. “The administration will help them in every possible way. After due investigations, the family will be rehabilitated and provided employment. We will see where they have taken the loan from and how far it can be resolved legally,” he said.

Politics at play

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath tweeted a 44-second video of the incident saying Chouhan runs Jangalraj (anarchy) in the state. “If there is any official land dispute, it should be solved legally. How can the unlawful and merciless beating of a farmer, his wife, and children be justified?” Kamal Nath lashed out at the BJP government in power in the state.

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, too, denounced the police action as barbaric and unacceptable and demanded the culprits to be dealt with immediately. 

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, meanwhile, tweeted a video. “I am distressed to see the Guna video. Such incidents should be avoided,” he said. “The Chief Minister has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter. Officers from Bhopal will go and investigate the matter, and see who is guilty and report the action taken on the guilty,” he said.

As of this day, Vishwanathan, and Tarun Nayak, superintendent of police, have been transferred. Nayak had issued orders suspending six police personnel, a report said.

Inputs courtesy: Mohan Baghel from Guna.