Three more debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in the north Karnataka region.
One farmer killed himself in Jewargi taluk in Kalaburagi district by consuming pesticide after being denied crop loan by a bank on Wednesday, another committed suicide at Ballur in Aurad taluk in Bidar district, and the third farmer committed suicide in Mallapur village of Ron taluk in Gadag district.
Jevalu Rathod (58), who had taken a loan of more than Rs. 4.5 lakh from private moneylenders, had sought a new loan from a bank in Jeratgi for taking up cultivation on 1.5 acre land at Badanihal tanda in Jewargi.
However, after being denied loan by the bank while continuing to face pressure from moneylenders, the farmer consumed pesticide at his house on Wednesday morning. He was shifted to private hospital at Sindagi town in Vijayapura district, where he died.
Bidar death
Santosh Manikraya Chillal (32) consumed poison at his house in Ballur village. He had taken loan to the tune of Rs. 7.5 lakh.
He tilled the family’s farms spread over 19 acres. He is survived by a daughter. He has three brothers, one of whom works in Bengaluru. The land is owned by Manikraya, the father of the deceased.
The family suffered as there was no rain and crop was damaged. Santosh tried to dig two borewells, both of which failed. This added to his debts that he felt were not easily repayable. He died in the district hospital, the police said.
Gadag casualty
Hanumappa Bhimappa Ittannavar (57), who owned two acres at Mallapur village, consumed poison on Wednesday. According to sources, he was also cultivating on a 15-acre land taken on lease.
He had sown groundnut and onion on his field and taken a loan of Rs. 4 lakh from private moneylenders. According to family members, he was upset due to the failure of the monsoon.
Superintendent of Police of Gadag district K.T. Balakrishna said that Hanumappa consumed poison on Wednesday morning and was taken to Gadag District Hospital immediately. However, he died in the evening.
