A farmer was found dead at his house at Chathamangalam, near Irulam, in the district on Thursday morning. He is suspected to have consumed poison.
The police identified him as Divakaran, 63, of Panni Mattathil at Angadissery Chathamangalam under the Pulpally police station limits.
His relatives said he had taken a loan of ₹6.5 lakh from the Irulam branch of the Kerala Gramin Bank a few years ago. He was now supposed to pay back ₹60 lakh, including various dues.
Apart from this, he had taken an education loan of ₹5 lakh from the Sulthan Bathery branch of Punjab National Bank.
He had cultivated many crops, including coffee, pepper, ginger, banana, and vegetables on his 3.5 acres, with little success.
Moreover, village authorities stopped accepting land tax since 2003 as per a directive of the Forest Department after claiming ownership on the land.
It was suspected that the debt forced him to take the extreme step.
