A 30-year-old farm labourer who was quarantined at a school in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district, allegedly committed suicide, police said on Friday. The man, who belongs to the Baiga tribe, was found hanging from a tree near the quarantine facility at Dubri Kala village, some 80 km from the district headquarters, on Thursday, superintendent of police R S Bevanshi said.
As per preliminary investigation, the man did not wish to be kept in isolation and wanted to be with his children.
The deceased, along with 21 other farm labourers, had returned to the village after harvest from neighbouring Sagar district amid the COVID-19 lockdown on Wednesday, the official said.
On their return, the farm workers were taken to a quarantine facility at a school in the village, he said.
The deceased had stepped out of the facility after informing the guard that he wished to relieve himself, but failed to return and was found hanging from a tree by some villagers on Thursday, the SP said.
Meanwhile, an initial compensation of Rs 10,000 has been given to the man's family, collector Ravindra Kumar Chaudhary said.