Daijiworld Media Network - Maddur

Maddur (Mandya), Jun 27: Chief minister Siddaramaiah has been accused of 'murder' in a complaint filed at Maddur police station here.

The complaint comes in the wake of growing cases of suicides among farmers in the state.

Mandya Raita Sangha chief G Shankar, who filed the complaint, stated that farmers in the state have committed suicide due to the burden of loans and as they were not given support price for their crop.

Shankar held Siddaramaiah directly responsible for the farmers' plight and charged him with 'murder'.

"Farmers' demands have not been fulfilled till now. They feel crushed under the burden of loans and they are not getting their pending dues either. The state government has not even given compensation to the families of farmers who committed suicide," Shankar alleged.

Two farmers in Mandya have allegedly committed suicide within a span of one week. On June 19, C Rajendra (66) hanged himself in Chinnenahalli of Srirangapatna taluk, while on June 25, Ninge Gowda allegedly set fire to his sugarcane field and jumped into it, as he was unable to pay back his loans after sugar mills refused to buy his crop. For the same reason, on Friday June 26, farmer Shivalinga Gowda (40) in Mysuru committed suicide by consuming poison. However, fresh reports in the media have suggested that Ninge Gowda's death was 'accidental'.