Mathura, Aug. 12 -- A farmer in his late 60s died of burns he suffered when his hut in Khushipura village was allegedly set on fire during a government eviction, police said on Tuesday.
Satyabhan succumbed to burns at SN Medical College in Agra on Monday, an officer said.
"The incident happened when a Revenue Department team went to Khushipura, falling under the Jait Police Station area, to free the land from alleged encroachments," Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said.
Satyabhan's daughter-in-law, Lalitesh, also suffered minor burns on her hand while trying to save him. She is under treatment.
Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said farmer Satyabhan and his family have been living for several decades in a hut built on Khandsari Cooperative Society land.
On August 7, Naib Tehsildar Anmol Garg, Kanungo Rajendra and Lekhpal Kapil came to the village and ordered the police to evict the occupants from the land.
Satyabhan resisted the eviction. A crowd gathered, and in the melee, soon, Satyabhan was found in flames.
Satyabhan's son, Pushpraj, said some villagers poured diesel on their hut and set it on fire.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.