KHAMMAM : Alleging that former RTI commissioner Gugulothu Shankar Naik encroached his 1.50 acres of land, Pacchipala Bhadraiah, a 60-year-old farmer attempted suicide by consuming pesticide in his field at Aliatanda village in Karepalli mandal of Khammam district on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Bogedla Prabhakar from Proddutur village had ended his life after accusing some local politicians of grabbing his land. A second similar incident has left the farming community in Khammam shaken.
Bhadraiah was initially rushed to the government hospital in Yellandu before being shifted to the general hospital in Khammam. Doctors described his health condition as critical and said that they would not be able to provide a definitive prognosis for at least one week as he is under observation.
According to Bhadraiah’s nephew P Venkat, the dispute revolved around a 1.50-acre patch of the 5 acres owned by the farmer in Aliatanda village. Venkat alleged that Shankar Naik had encroached this land last year and obtained an injunction on false grounds. Following this, Bhadraiah secured his own injunction order recently. However, Shankar Naik’s men continued activities on the disputed land, Venkat said.
On Thursday, Bhadraiah and his wife Bhaghyamma confronted the men on their field and questioned their activities despite the injunction. Venkat alleged that the men responded by abusing Bhadraiah who felt humiliated and consumed.
Bhadraiah lost his son in a road accident in 2012 who left behind two children.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)