NUAPADA:Poverty forced a couple to end their lives by hanging in their house at Semelpali village under Thakpali Gram Panchayat in Komna block of the district on Sunday.
Although it is being suspected as suicide over their failed agriculture produce, police are investigating into the matter.
Sources said Jhankar Sabar (60) had married Jamuna Sabar (50) after the death of his first wife 14 years back. He had two sons and one daughter from his first marriage. While the elder son is married and is working in a factory in Bargarh, his second son is absconding for the last two years. His daughter, Santali, aged about 19 years, is unmarried and the couple was apparently worried about her marriage.
Although Jhankar owned three acres of land, it was barren owing to lack of irrigation. The family faced a tough time to arrange two square meals and was dependent on the wage Santali earned. This had left the couple frustrated and the villagers had spotted them wandering and looking worried for the last four months.
On Friday evening, Santali, who works as a daily wager, on returning home after work, found the door of their house closed and knocked it. However, she got no response and called fellow villagers, who broke open the door and found the couple hanging from the roof of their house. IIC Komna Salya Naik said the bodies were handed over to villagers after autopsy. It is learnt that the couple ended their lives out of frustration.