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The police intervention resulted in a demand for him to pay Rs 9,99,577 for the deployment of 99 officers and government vehicles.
Vidyadhar Yadav’s decision to threaten self-immolation was born out of his ongoing frustration with a cement company.
A farmer from Gothra Hall Devgaon in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, is facing a substantial financial penalty after threatening to self-immolate in protest against a local cement company. Following the farmer’s announcement, the police were deployed to the scene to prevent the tragic event, and now the authorities are demanding nearly Rs 10 lakh from the farmer to cover the costs of the operation.
Vidyadhar Yadav, aged 45, had declared on December 11 that he intended to end his life in front of the cement factory situated in Gothra. In response to this threat, a large police force was swiftly dispatched to the location, including 99 officers and multiple government vehicles, all of which incurred a cost of Rs 9,99,577 to the state.
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On December 17, Jhunjhunu Superintendent of Police, Sharad Chaudhary, issued a formal order demanding that Vidyadhar Yadav pay the full amount to reimburse the government for the security measures taken to prevent the self-immolation.
Vidyadhar Yadav’s decision to threaten self-immolation was born out of his ongoing frustration with the cement company operating in his village. He claimed that the company had been unjustly encroaching on his land and harassing his family. According to Yadav, the company demolished his ancestral home, located on land that falls within the company’s mining area, without offering any fair compensation.
On the day of the self-immolation attempt, Yadav and his family had set up a pyre in front of the cement company’s gate, intending to protest the destruction of their home. The police arrived at the scene and intervened, removing the family from the site and taking Yadav into custody to prevent the tragedy from unfolding.
Yadav stated that his family’s plight had gone unheard for too long. He claimed that despite numerous attempts to seek justice, the company had continuously ignored his concerns. He now felt trapped, and his only recourse was to take such extreme measures to draw attention to their suffering.
Dispute Over Land Compensation
The root of the conflict lies in a land acquisition dispute between Yadav’s family and the cement company. Yadav and his brother, Sukhdev Yadav, own a portion of land – 3.118 hectares – in Gothra village, which is located within the mining zone of the cement factory. In 2021, the local authorities determined that compensation for the land should be set at Rs 22,47,773 per bigha. This was later renegotiated in October 2023, with the cement company agreeing to increase the compensation to Rs 26 lakh per bigha.
In total, the compensation for Yadav’s land and the destruction of his house was estimated to amount to Rs 3,05,10,909. However, Yadav claimed that despite the agreement, he had not received full compensation, and the company continued to delay payments. Additionally, he alleged that the company provided his family with only temporary housing for one and a half years, instead of offering a permanent solution to replace their demolished home.
Yadav’s frustration compounded by the ongoing threats from the company, which he claimed had pressured him and his family to stop protesting. “The company took away our land and demolished our ancestral home. Our only crime was standing up for our rights,” he said, adding, “Now we’re left with nothing but empty promises.”
Adding to Yadav’s woes, the recent police intervention resulted in a demand for him to pay Rs 9,99,577 for the deployment of 99 officers and the use of government vehicles. The police action was aimed at preventing the self-immolation attempt, but now Yadav finds himself in a difficult situation, being asked to pay for the costs associated with preventing his own tragedy.
The demand sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning the fairness of charging the farmer for the police deployment, especially when his actions were borne out of desperation in the face of injustice. Local residents expressed solidarity with Yadav, condemning the cement company for its alleged mistreatment of the farmer and his family.
Several community leaders called for a review of the compensation process and have demanded that the company be held accountable for its actions.
- Location :
Jhunjhunu, India