MYSURU:In a shocking incident, a villager committed suicide after a panchayat of some self-proclaimed village leaders imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh for allegedly abusing a fellow villager and threatened to banish him from the village if he failed to pay it.
The victim, Siddaramegowda (56) of D Salundi village, attempted to hang himself from a tree on July 12. He died at K R Hospital on Saturday.
In a complaint to Jayapura police, the victim’s son, S Basappa, has said that his father and one Shivanna Nayaka of the village had exchanged heated arguments on July 6. His father had taken exception to Nayaka not beating the drum in front of their house announcing the collection of donation for the renovation of a temple ‘gopura’ in the village.
Nayaka who took the matter to the ‘panchayat’ accused Siddaramegowda of abusing him in filthy language. Following a ‘hearing’ on July 12, the village leaders ‘convicted’ Siddaramegowda and ordered him to pay the fine, failing which they threatened to throw him out of the village.
Shocked by their diktat, Siddaramegowda tried to hang himself from a tree near his house but the noose got cut. He was rushed to a hospital in Mysuru, but he died on Saturday. Basappa alleged that the ‘village leaders’ impose fines on innocent villagers for sundry reasons and misuse that money.