A file photo of Chhabi Sahu (extreme right) taking out a procession on July 31, 2012

Balangir, May 11: A farmer in Patnagarh, who were duped of his two acres of land by a private company in the name of contractual farming, committed suicide on Friday by consuming pesticide.

The deceased, Chhabi Sahu of Ghumer village, is among the 100 odd farmers who had entered into agreements with Agra-based private companies in 2005 for jatropha cultivation. Later, they realised the company had transferred the land in its name by cheating them.

The farmers said the agreement was written in English and they could not read it before signing it.

The incident has exposed the alleged indifference of the administration towards the farmers who had been agitating for the past few years to get back their land.

A desperate Sahu consumed pesticides on Tuesday and breathed his last at VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla on Saturday.

Family members said Sahu was very disturbed because he had lost his two acres of land and the administration was not doing anything to help the farmers.

Arun Mishra, a farmer who has taken up the cause of the land owners, said: “The administration conducted all kinds of inquiries and it has been established that the companies have taken over the land through fraudulent means. Neither the government nor the district administration has evinced interest in providing justice to the farmers. If the authorities do not take appropriate steps, more such tragedies will follow.”

District collector M. Muthukumar said he couldn’t do anything because the matter was pending with the board of revenue. The victims had made allegations against the private company to the district administration.

In May 2007, the then collector and the then revenue divisional commissioner (northern) had conducted an inquiry and had confirmed the fraudulent transactions.

The revenue inspector, tehsildar and sub-registrar of Patnagarh were also found guilty.

Subsequently, the Crime Branch had arrested tehsildar Gobinda Prusty, sub-registrar Bikash Kujur and the revenue inspector Basudev Patel for their roles in the land transaction.

Chhabi Sahu had been fighting for his land since 2006.

“My brother and 10 others from our village had lost their land. Chhabi was arrested by the police a few times and he was implicated in false cases. The company’s goons used to threaten him,” said Nabin Sahu, brother of the deceased.