Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has suspended six officials, including District Magistrate Markan Dey Singh, in connection with the alleged suicide by a farmer in Barabanki district recently.

Mansaram (20) allegedly committed suicide after his ancestral land was auctioned by the administration to recover dues against a loan, official sources said in Lucknow.

Yadav initiated action against the officials on Wednesday on the basis of a report submitted by the Faizabad District Commissioner J P Sharma who had been told to inquire into the incident.

Besides the Barabanki DM, those suspended include the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, tehsildar Satyendra Nath Shukla, nayab tehsildar Vinay Kumar Gupta, clerk Bankey Lal and branch manager (Land Development Bank, Barabanki) Alok Kumar.

The chief minister has also announced financial assistance of Rs 100,000 to the kin of the deceased.

Kallu, the father of the deceased, said their entire 6.5 bighas of land was sold at a nominal price in the auction, prompting his son to end his life.

Mansaram had run from pillar to post to get the market price of the land. Despite an application submitted on July 25 to the Ramnagar SDM, the land was auctioned off only for Rs 80,000.