BALASORE: A loan-burdened farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide in Padmapur village within Chandipur police limits on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old farmer Sumanta Behera consumed pesticide in the morning when his wife had gone to their neighbour’s place and other family members were not present at home. He allegedly took the extreme step as he was unable to repay the loan he had taken to cultivate his land.
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The deceased farmer’s son Debabrata said his father was under duress for the last few days for the debt burden.
Sumanta had borrowed money from a cooperative society and a private lender last year to cultivate around five acre of land during the kharif season. He was even paying interest to the lenders. This year, paddy saplings were damaged due to deficit rain and he was under pressure to repay the debt, Debabrata said.
“On arriving at home, my mother found him in a critical condition. Family members and neighbours immediately rushed him the district headquarters hospital where the doctor declared him dead,” said Debabrata.
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Chandipur IIC Minati Biswal said on being informed, she went to the hospital to inquire into the matter. An unnatural death case has been registered and the farmer’s body sent for postmortem.
The exact cause of Sumanta’s death will be ascertained after the autopsy report is out and detailed investigation, Biswal added.
Balasore Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy said the Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Tehsildar and Agriculture officer have been asked to probe the matter and submit a report.
On June 16, a 66-year-old farmer of Nuapur village within Soro police limits in the district had committed suicide allegedly over crop loss and debt burden. The elderly farmer, Gayadhar Jena, was found hanging in his farmhouse.