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Nashik: A 40-year-old farmer from Dhavleshwar village in Malegaon allegedly died by suicide after being publicly accused of misconduct, forced to face a village gathering and allegedly subjected to threats and harassment by a large mob, police said. Based on a complaint filed by his wife, Chhavani police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against more than 32 people under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said 10 accused, including three women, have been arrested so far.
Inspector Subhash Sanap, of Chhavani police station, said the investigation is underway. The deceased, Samadhan Hire, was found hanging from a neem tree in Triveni Shivar on Sunday afternoon.
Matters escalated on Sunday morning when a crowd of around 400 to 500 people allegedly gathered outside the family’s house, shouting threats and demanding to know Hire’s whereabouts. Hire’s family, however, maintained that he had remained at home throughout the night. The complaint states that despite denying the allegation, Hire was asked to attend a community meeting later that day. There, he allegedly apologised in an attempt to pacify those gathered, though his family claims he had done nothing wrong. The complaint alleges that several people entered the house and assaulted family members.
An elderly woman came to Hire’s house on Saturday morning and accused him of threatening her daughter-in-law the previous night, according to the complaint.