Bengaluru, Jun 30 (DHNS): Two farmers committed suicide, while a farmer couple and another agriculturist attempted to kill themselves in separate cases on Monday.
Mahesh, 35, from Panakanahalli in Mandya taluk, was found hanging from a tree on the outskirts of the village. Mahesh had grown sugar cane and paddy on land and had borrowed Rs 1.9 lakh from various banks. He is said to have borrowed money from private persons also.
Mahesh had sold some portion of his land to repay a loan he had taken from a pawn broker. The banks had issued him notices for repayment of loans, it is said. He is survived by his mother and two sisters.
Bhoganandeeshwarappa, 55, from Gidaganahalli in Gauribidanur taluk of Chikkaballapur district, ended his life by consuming poison on Monday. He was dejected about the fact that his borewell had gone dry.
A debt-ridden farmer-couple attempted to commit suicide by consuming poison at Horabailu near Choradi in Shivamogga taluk on Monday.
Teekappa, 45, who owns two acres of dry land, had borrowed a housing loan of Rs 2 lakh from a bank and a farm loan to grow maize. He could not repay the money as the crop did not yield a good price. Teekappa had borrowed from relatives and friends to repay the farm loan in instalments. He had availed loan from another bank recently to repay his friends and relatives. Teekappa and his wife Janakamma, 40, fought over the issue.
Dejected over this, he consumed pesticide in his farm. His wife also consumed poison at home after being informed that Teekappa had done so. They have been admitted to the McGann hospital in Shivamogga.
A 27-year-old farmer, frustrated over the delay in payment of dues towards his sugar cane produce and accusing Kudachi MLA P Rajeev of deceiving him, attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticide at the venue of the farmers’ protest near the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on Monday. Siddaram Lakshman Hasare, a resident of Nilji in Raibag taluk, consumed pesticide before going to the farmers’ meet.
The police, who were suspicious of his activities, frisked him away and recovered the poison bottle from him. They rushed him to the district hospital where he is undergoing treatment and is said to be out of danger.
Hasare, who had grown sugar cane on his eight-acre farm, had sold 198 tonnes of the produce to a factory. The factory paid only Rs 1,000 per tonne to the farmer. Hasare had taken a loan of Rs 3.5 lakh from Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank and Rs 4 lakh from private money lenders. In the death note, Hasare has charged Rajeev with not returning the money borrowed from him. Though Hasare claimed that he had not consumed poison, the police rushed him to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
On hearing about the incident, Rajeev visited the hospital, where the farmer took him to task over not returning the money.