A Dalit family in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, is burdened with debt! Father and 2-year-old son dead, wife and son hospitalized; mass suicide suspected!
The family ate dinner together on Friday night. According to family members, Prakash began experiencing severe stomach pain and vomiting shortly after eating.
Bhopal. A tragic incident occurred on Friday night in the Orchha Road police station area of Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. Four members of the same Dalit family suddenly fell ill after eating. Farmer Prakash Ahirwar (35) and his two-year-old son, Nihal, died. His wife, Nandini (29), and elder son, Tanishq, are currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital. While the cause of the incident remains unclear, it appears to be a case of mass suicide.
How did the incident occur?
The family ate dinner together on Friday night. According to family members, Prakash began experiencing severe stomach pain and vomiting shortly after eating. Initially, they thought it was normal and thought he would get better by morning. However, as the night progressed, his condition worsened. They were rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared Prakash and his younger son, Nihal, dead.
Dr. Ashish Shukla stated that the family had eaten potato curry, after which they began vomiting and feeling uneasy. Nandini’s condition is now stable, but the condition of his elder son, Tanishq, remains critical.
A Story of Financial Pressure and Debt
Prakash Ahirwar was a farmer and had borrowed a tractor for farming. Due to repeated crop failures, he was unable to pay the installments. Two days ago, employees of a finance company came to his house and pressured him to pay an installment of 30,000-40,000 rupees. They threatened to seize the tractor if he did not pay.
The family alleged that the company employees forced them to sign and thumbprint an application. The application also stated that Prakash had taken a loan of 4 lakh rupees and would repay the entire amount by September 25th. If he did not do so, the company could seize his tractor, house, and land.
The entire case appears to be a coerced mass suicide. Family members say the finance company was constantly threatening them to pay the installments and forcibly took their thumb impressions. Under these circumstances, farmer Prakash Ahirwar suffered a mental breakdown. The simultaneous deterioration of health among all family members suggests that they may have taken this extreme step due to debt and socio-economic pressure. However, this can only be confirmed after the postmortem report and police investigation.
Family members say Prakash was under immense mental stress. The inability to pay the installments and the constant threats had broken him. He returned home after getting his TV repaired and had dinner with his family. But within a few hours, everything was destroyed.
CSP Arun Kumar Soni said the case is being investigated. The cause of death will be clear only after the postmortem report is received, and further action will be taken based on that.
This incident is not just a tragedy of one family, but reveals the reality of thousands of farmers and Dalit families who are burdened with debt and installments.
Ankit Pachauri
Courtesy: Hindi News