Four farmers commit suicide

Bengaluru, Apr 17: Four farmers, including a father and son, have committed suicide in different parts of Karnataka.

A young farmer and his father committed suicide within a span of a few hours unable to bear the financial loss incurred in agricultural activities at Gulladamane village in Tarikere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district.

While 21-year-old Yogish consumed poison around 4 p.m. on Saturday, his father Srinivas, 50, in grief over his son’s death, took poison on Sunday morning, according to Lingadahalli police. The family has three acres of land with areca and coconut trees. As there was no rainfall, the family had sunk a few borewells in their farm by spending a huge sum borrowed from different sources.

But none of them yielded water. Yogish, who was looking after agriculture, died in a hospital later on Saturday evening. His father consumed poison in his farm on Sunday morning and later died in a hospital in Shivamogga. Srinivas is survived by wife, son, and a daughter. Based on the statement given by his son Pradeep Kumar, Lingadahalli police have registered two separate unnatural death reports.

In Koppal district, a farmer was found hanging at his residence in Lebagere village of the taluk on Sunday morning. It is said that the farmer, identified as Ramanna Hadapad, 32, took the extreme step after all the four borewells he had sunk in his field failed to yield water. Ramanna had availed a loan of Rs. 1.75 lakh for sinking the borewells. Koppal Rural police have registered a case.

In Bidar district, a 48-year-old farmer ended his life at Karpakapalli village in Humnabad taluk on Friday. The farmer has been identified as Shamrao Chatnalli.

He had borrowed Rs. 5 lakh from banks and private moneylenders, his family members told the police. Bemalkheda police have registered a case.