Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic protest against an ongoing eviction drive, a resident of Manikpur village near Balipatana in Khordha district allegedly attempted suicide on Thursday, forcing officials to halt operations immediately.
The incident occurred when the Balipatana Tahsildar and accompanying officials arrived at the village to clear encroachments on government land.
Bipin Sethi, who had reportedly resided on the plot for nearly three decades, had built a house and operated a small shop there to support his livelihood. Despite prior notices to vacate, Sethi had not complied, leading to the deployment of a JCB machine to demolish the structures.
As demolition preparations began, Sethi reportedly highlighted selective enforcement, claiming multiple other encroachments existed in the village without action against those occupants. In a desperate act of protest, he allegedly consumed a pesticide-like granular substance in full view of the officials.
The eviction was stopped instantly, and Sethi was rushed to Adashpur Community Health Centre. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for better treatment.
Sethi’s family members have accused the administration of carrying out the drive.
