Freedom fighter attempts suicide in Agra over liquor ban

A nonagenarian freedom fighter, Chimmanlal Jain, tried to commit suicide to protest against "the Uttar Pradesh government`s failure" to implement prohibition.

Agra: A nonagenarian freedom fighter, Chimmanlal Jain, on Wednesday tried to commit suicide to protest against "the Uttar Pradesh government`s failure" to implement prohibition -- but was prevented by police.

After Jain, 98, tried to hang himself from a rope at the district headquarters here but was prevented from doing so, a senior district officer assured him that his demands will be looked into and the state government informed accordingly.

This is the third time that he has attempted his novel way of protest -- earlier he had tried to jump into the Yamuna river as well as before a moving train.

The freedom fighter told IANS that he had demanded the shifting of liquor vends from near educational and religious institutions in the city, as well as highways, apart from total prohibition in the state.

On December 15, 2016, the Supreme Court had ordered the state governments to not renew the licences of liquor vends operating within 500 metres on either side of the national and state highways after April 1.