Farmer Parmeshwar Ishwar Meshram (55) from Morwa attempted suicide by consuming poison on September 26 at the Bhadrawati Tehsil office. After fighting for his life for 11 days under medical care, he passed away at 3 a.m. on October 6. However, even after two days and one night, his family refused to take possession of the body. The deceased’s family has leveled allegations against Pratibha Dhanorkar and her husband, Anil Dhanorkar. According to the family, Parmeshwar Meshram was driven to suicide due to being cheated in land dealings with the late Balu Dhanorkar. Despite winning a court case under pressure from the Dhanorkar family, the land was not transferred to his name, the family claimed.
The relatives have demanded that, as per the court’s order, the heirs be recorded in the Saatbar and that legal action be taken against the guilty officials; otherwise, they will not conduct the funeral. Meshram’s and his heirs’ names were required to be recorded in Village Sample 7 as per the court’s clear order. However, the revenue department avoided executing the order, citing disputes over ownership rights. Prolonged delays in the case had placed Meshram under severe mental stress, eventually leading him to consume poison at the tehsil office.
The police have registered a case in connection with this matter, and further investigation is ongoing. Following the incident, the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar were suspended. The revenue department immediately suspended Tehsildar Rajesh Bhandarkar and Naib Tehsildar Sudhir Khandre. Preliminary investigations revealed that both had violated the Revenue Act of 1966 and the Civil Services Conduct Rules of 1979. Farmer organizations have demanded that suspension alone is insufficient and that a murder case should be filed and the officials arrested immediately.
The incident occurred within a fortnight of the revenue department’s service program, drawing severe criticism of the administration. Officials, who promised speedy service to citizens, failed to implement the court’s order. The tragedy has caused grief in Morwa village and across the district. Villagers and farmer organizations have warned that they will launch protests until justice is served. They are also demanding a high-level inquiry and strict action against the guilty officials.
Some relatives of the deceased visited today and demanded that the heirs be recorded in the Saatbar and that action be taken against the officials responsible for driving him to suicide. Police Inspector Yogeshwar Pardhi stated that, after receiving the medical report, a proper investigation will be conducted and appropriate action taken against the guilty.