ADILABAD: A 60-year-old debt-ridden farmer ended his life by consuming pesticide at the ICICI bank in the district headquarters on Saturday. The victim, Jadhav Dev Rao, was a native of Rainiguda village of Bela mandal.
Sources said Jadhav had taken a mortgage loan of Rs 3.40 lakh from the ICICI bank in 2019, on his agriculture field of five acres. Despite paying the interest on his loan every six months, the bank officials allegedly harassed him for not paying the amounts for the last two months. Feeling humiliated by alleged harassment, the farmer visited the bank on Saturday afternoon, consumed poison and sat in a chair until he succumbed.
Consequently, the bank officials called 108 ambulance and shifted him to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital where doctors confirmed his death.
The farmer entered the bank and consumed pesticide right in front of the bank manager and staff. However, none of the officials tried to stop him from taking the extreme step. The whole incident was recorded on the security cameras.
Adilabad BJP MLA Payal Shankar, in her reaction, visited the bank and enquired about the incident, demanding action against the officials who harassed the farmer.
“The banks lend crores of rupees to corporates and for the recovery of the amount they issue notices and even provide relaxation at times. It is very unfortunate that they harass farmers for skipping even one instalment,” she said.
Mavala mandal police have registered a case against the bank officials and the probe has been initiated.
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