KOLLAM: A debt-ridden cashew factory owner from Kollam ended his life on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Simon, 40, a native of Nallila in Kundra. He hanged himself in his cashew factory shed which was non-functional.
Simon and his father Mathayi were running Nirmala Mathew Cashew factory in Nallila. According to the police, he had been under severe pressure due to mounting debts and took the extreme step when served with an eviction notice from the bank.
On Wednesday, after lunch, as Simon was not found in the house his mother started looking for him. Later, she found him hanging in the shed, he added. Besides their own property, they had also mortgaged their relative's properties. Simon is survived by his wife Asha and children Sanjana and Alvin.
Facing hardships in view of the COVID-19 lockdown, cashew factory owners and workers in the state have been urging the government to intervene for long. Demands are on for a special package to address the crisis in the sector.