Yadgir, 10 July

In a heart-wrenching incident in Vadagera town of Yadgir district, a young man died by suicide fearing that an atrocity case might be filed against him, and upon hearing the news of his son's death, his father succumbed to a heart attack.

The issue reportedly began about a week ago with a quarrel between the deceased Mehboob, 22, and a Dalit family from Vadagera town, concerning access to Mehboob’s land through their agricultural field. Elders from the community intervened and mediated the dispute through a local panchayat.

However, tensions escalated when a Dalit leader from another village allegedly threatened Mehboob that a caste atrocity case would be filed against him.

Terrified that a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act would ruin his reputation and land him in jail, Mehboob took the extreme step on Wednesday by hanging himself from a tree.

Hearing the news, his father Syed Ali, 50, suffered a heart attack and was immediately rushed to Jayadeva Hospital in Kalaburagi. Despite medical efforts, he could not be saved and also passed away. A case was registered against eight people.