Ballia: A youth in Ballia, Ankur (22), died by suicide after allegedly being threatened with a false case under the SC-ST Act and extorted for ₹2 lakh. He filmed a 3-minute, 24-second video before his death, in which he stated that he would not sell his family’s land to pay the money and expressed anguish over the potential “stain on his character.”
The incident, which took place in Veerchandraha village under the Nagra police station area, has sent shockwaves through the community. On Tuesday afternoon, Ankur, the only son of Lalit Singh, was found hanging from a mango tree in a local orchard. His father had gone to the market, leaving Ankur at home with his mother and sister. When villagers discovered his body, they immediately informed his family and the police. Law enforcement and a forensic team promptly arrived at the scene to begin an investigation.
Ankur, who had recently returned from Jamnagar, Gujarat, where he worked as a driver, was unmarried. According to villagers, this was not his first attempt at suicide; he had reportedly tried to take his life two years prior but was saved.
The core of the tragedy lies in the video message that emerged on Wednesday. In it, Ankur, identifying himself as a “Rajput boy,” recounted a recent altercation he had with a family belonging to the Scheduled Caste. He claimed that in the aftermath of the fight, certain individuals were demanding a sum of ₹2 lakh from him in exchange for not filing a case under the stringent SC-ST Act.
With visible distress, Ankur articulated his despair, stating, “I will not sell my father’s land to give the money. Even if I pay, how will the stain on my character be removed?” He named Umesh Kannaujiya, his father Janardan Kannaujiya, and Mukesh Kannaujiya as the main harassers. He also mentioned that a politically influential woman from their family, who is married in Rasra, was also pressuring him.
In his poignant final message, Ankur differentiated between the legal consequences of common crimes and the emotional burden of false accusations. “I will bear the cases like assault and hooliganism,” he said, “But the burden of character assassination and false allegations is difficult to bear.” He broadened his personal plea to a societal warning, cautioning that such circumstances could force any young person to take a drastic step. “If such circumstances continue, the youth will be forced to take steps like suicide,” he lamented.
The Nagara police station in-charge, Ajay Kumar Tripathi, confirmed that the body had been sent for post-mortem examination. He assured the public that if Ankur’s family files a formal complaint against the accused individuals named in the video, a case will be registered, and a thorough investigation will be launched.
