A tragic incident has emerged from Puri district, where an elderly man allegedly ended his life on railway tracks following relentless pressure from a local moneylender and the in-charge of a police outpost.
The deceased has been identified as Panchanan Sitha, a resident of Gurubai Nuasahi under Krushnaprasad block. Based on a suicide note recovered after his death, Panchanan’s son, Priyaranjan, filed an official complaint seeking immediate investigation and legal action against both the outpost officer and local moneylender Dilip Palei.
According to the complaint, Panchanan had taken a lease on a stretch from Panchapada to Pada Farm for two years. Palei, a moneylender associated with Pada Farm, had allegedly provided him with Rs 2.75 lakh along with prawn seed. When Panchanan requested additional crab seed later, Palei refused, sparking a heated dispute between the two.
Priyaranjan alleged that 4 to 5 youths, acting at the behest of Palei, vandalized his father’s prawn farm. When Panchanan approached the local outpost to seek help, the officer in-charge allegedly refused to entertain his grievance and instead pressured him to drop the issue. Distressed by the continuous coercion and lack of official support, Panchanan was driven to take the extreme step.
Following public outcry and the allegations coming to light, the police administration transferred the implicated outpost officer, with the local SDPO acknowledging the matter. However, the victim’s family expressed frustration that Palei and others named in the suicide note have yet to be arrested.
Local residents and the family have urged Puri Police to conduct an impartial probe and bring the perpetrators to justice, warning that unresolved disputes over illegal prawn enclosure farming could spark further tragic outcomes in the region.
