The spate of farmers’ suicides continued in the State with three more, including a sugarcane grower, dying on Wednesday. Though another sugarcane grower tried to end his life by setting himself ablaze, he was rescued and hospitalised by other farmers.
In the first case, a 66-year-old sugarcane farmer, Krishnappa alias Krishne Gowda, reportedly committed suicide at Adagur village in Channarayapatna taluk on Wednesday morning.
He was found hanging from the ceiling in the cattle shed. He is survived by his wife and a son.
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Krishnappa was upset that there was no demand for his standing sugarcane crop. He had borrowed about Rs. 5 lakh from moneylenders.
In another incident, a 45-year-old debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide at his farmland at Hirikalale village in K.R. Pet taluk of the district early on Wednesday. The Kikkeri police have identified him as Shankare Gowda.
According to the police, the farmer was an alcoholic and had taken hand loans from some villagers.
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He was found dead on his land on Wednesday morning. His wife, Jayamma has filed a complaint of unnatural death, the police said.
In the third incident, Chandrappa, a sugarcane grower, tried to commit suicide by setting himself ablaze on his farm at Huluginakatte village in Shikaripur taluk on Wednesday.
Farmers from the neighbouring fields immediately doused the flames and shifted him to the Government General Hospital in Shikaripur town.
He sustained burn injuries on head, back and waist. The doctors who are treating him said the farmer was out of danger. According to sources, the farmer had borrowed Rs 75,000 from a nationalised bank and had turned defaulter. The bank had issued notice for repayment of the loan. Besides, he had taken loans of Rs. 7 lakh from self-help groups and from moneylenders in the village. Chandrappa owns half an acre of land. Besides, he was growing sugarcane on five acres on contract basis.
In yet another incident in Mysuru district, a 50-year-old farmer from Hunsur taluk in Mysuru district, who consumed poison on Tuesday evening, died at K.R. Hospital in Mysuru on Wednesday.
The deceased Kari Gowda, a resident of Maraduru Mudala Koppala in Hunsur’s Bettadapura police station limits, had grown tobacco crop on 25 guntas of land. He had taken a loan of Rs. 3 lakh including Rs. 2 lakh from moneylenders. A sum of Rs. 1 lakh had been obtained from Cauvery Grameena Bank.