A heartbreaking tale of love, tradition, and despair has gripped Baryapur village in Sheohar’s Tariyani area. On March 5, 45-year-old Prabhu Rai was discovered suspended from a tree in a local garden, just days after a village council demanded he pay a staggering Rs 7 lakh penalty for his son’s runaway romance.
It all began when Dhiraj Kumar eloped with a village girl to Mumbai during Mahashivratri festivities. Returned forcibly on February 22, the couple faced a panchayat that sided heavily with the girl’s side, burdening poor Prabhu with an impossible sum. Family disputes intensified as Prabhu struggled to arrange the money.
Morning walkers stumbled upon the grim scene, prompting immediate police action. SDPO Sushil Kumar’s team secured the site, sent the body for autopsy, and is probing every angle—from suicide driven by shame and debt to potential foul play.
Nikesh Kumar, another son, vehemently disputes suicide, insisting panchayat enforcers murdered and strung up his father in retaliation for non-payment. Whispers of societal pressure over the ‘honor’ issue fuel the narrative.
This tragedy underscores the dangers of extrajudicial panchayats, which continue to wield unchecked power in remote areas, often leading to irreversible consequences. Police assure a thorough investigation, vowing to uncover the truth and hold perpetrators accountable, as the village mourns a man crushed by circumstances beyond his control.