A 42-year-old farmer committed suicide by consuming poison in his field in Iddalhonda New Centre (Shivapur) under Kakti Police Station limits of Belagavi taluk late on Friday night. His family members claimed that he ended his life due to crop loss and debt.
Kempanna, son of late Ningappa Hanji, had inherited one-and-a-half acres of agriculture land and had taken up potato cultivation. Since the yield was poor he planted fresh seeds of potato which also failed to germinate due to deficit rainfall, his elder brother Dundappa said.
Kempanna had taken a loan of Rs.45,000 from Syndicate Bank, Rs.40,000 from Nandi Co-operative Society in Yamanapur and a sum of about Rs.50,000 from three persons in the village. In his death note, he had listed these details and pleaded with his family members to return the amount due to banks and private money lenders after his death, apparently from the compensation he seem to have expected from the government.
He had also spent a substantial amount to dig a borewell in the field which did not yield even at a depth of 650 ft.
On Friday night, he left home without dinner, stating that he was going to the field. Later the family members became apprehensive and rushed to the field only to find his body.
On Saturday morning the Tahsildar and police officials rushed to the spot and shifted the body for post-mortem to the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences in the city. The Kakti police have registered a case.
