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Indian gov't orders probe into farmer's suicide at political rally in Delhi

Xinhua, April 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Indian government on Thursday ordered an investigation into the suicide of a 41-year- old farmer in full public view at a political rally in the national capital Wednesday.

The farmer, Gajendra Singh, who hailed from the western Indian state of Rajasthan had climbed a tree and hanged himself from it at the political rally organized by the anti-graft Aam Aadmi Party against the Indian government's anti-farmer law.

Sources said that India Home Minister Rajnath Singh met Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi on Thursday morning and ordered the probe into the farmer's death.

"The police have already started analyzing the video footage of the incident to find out if anyone in the crowd goaded Singh or tried to prevent the cops present there from saving him. It is also being probed if any member of the Aam Aadmi Party provoked the farmer to take the extreme step," the sources said.

A suicide note has been recovered, in which the farmer wrote "I am a farmer's son. My father drove me out of the house because my crop failed. I have three children."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted his condolences to the farmer's family, saying his death had "saddened the nation. " Endi