Freedom fighter attempts suicide in Agra over liquor ban

Agra June 14 (IANS) 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.

--IANS
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