UP farmer dies after loan sharks throw him down from tractor

Lucknow: At a time when the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is vouching for its work in easing farmer loans, in a tragic incident, a farmer in Sitapur was crushed under the wheels of a tractor after the private loan financier's men threw him on the road, police said.

Police say they have registered a case of murder against the accused persons from the finance company and were on a look out for them.

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The incident took place on Saturday when the finance company's men came to the house of the 45-year-old Gyan Chandra.

They asked him to pay back the loan dues of Rs 65,000 he had taken to purchase a tractor. When he pleaded helplessness in settling the amount at the time, the company people tried to drive away with the tractor.

In an attempt to block them from doing so, Chandra climbed on top of the tractor engine but was pushed by the driver and he fell on the road and was crushed by the tractor, a police official said.

The farmer had taken a Rs 5 lakh loan. Family members said they had paid back majority of the loan amount and just Rs 65,000 was left.

Chandra is survived by his widow and five daughters.

The BJP government in the state had announced a loan waiver scheme, as per a commitment made in the state assembly poll manifesto, in which it claims it benefited 87 lakh small and marginal farmers.

IANS