A cash-strapped farmer from Velampalayam committed suicide on Tuesday, apparently because he feared legal proceedings by the local branch of a nationalised bank that had granted him a loan of ₹5 lakh to purchase a tractor.
Owing to crop failure, the victim, identified as Palanichamy (45), was not in a position to repay the loans that he he had taken from a bank and a micro-finance institution.
The bank, which decided to pursue the case of unpaid dues with the Debts Recovery Tribunal, Madurai, had reportedly informed the farmer a few days ago that it had received a direction to confiscate his properties if he failed to pay up.
He had been under pressure from the micro-finance institution as well to settle his dues.
Distraught over his precarious plight, Palanichamy hanged himself, leaving behind his wife, teenage son and aged mother, local sources said.
The Kavindapadi police have registered a case.
Crop failure claims life
Apparently distressed over crop failure, a 65-year-old farmer died on his agricultural land at Kilmanakudi near Bhuvanagiri in Cuddalore on Monday evening.
The farmer’s wife died of shock a few minutes later. The police said the deceased, identified as Veerappan, had raised paddy on two acres of land.
He was inspecting the field when he suddenly collapsed. The crop had withered for want of water and Veerappan was upset. When he did not return, his relatives went in search of him and found him dead on the field.
His body was brought home and his wife Arayi (58) died of shock shortly after.
