Three more farmers commit suicide in MP, toll 18

Three more farmers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of deaths of distressed farmers in the state in the last 11 days to 18.

While two suicides were reported in Bundelkhand region on Wednesday, the third suicide was reported on Thursday from Budni, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Gului Kurmi, 50, a resident of Basahri, hanged himself from a tree on Wednesday. He left a suicide note alleging harassment by a moneylender.

R.S. Parmar, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer in Bina, told IANS that the debt-ridden farmer hanged himself on way to his field.

Kurmi's suicide note said he was being pursued by the moneylender though he had paid back a debt of Rs 1 lakh.

Mahesh Tiwari, a 75-year-old farmer from Luvkushnagar, also hanged himself on Wednesday evening. Tiwari chose to end his life in a dilapidated house in the neighbourhood.

Tiwari's family and relatives said piling debts led to the tragedy, but the police said he was upset due to his ill health that drove him over the edge.

The third farmer, Shatrughan Meena, lived in Guradiya village and killed himself by consuming poison early on Thursday. His family said he was distressed over his debt.

Meena (52) had taken a loan of Rs 5 lakh from a lender who was asking for double the amount (10 lakh) in return. Early on Thursday, he consumed poison and was taken to a private hospital in Hoshangabad where he died.

Budni police station in-charge R.N. Sharma confirmed Meena's suicide to IANS but said the reason behind it was not clear.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Ajay Singh claimed Meena's lender was a leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Meena's suicide is the fifth such incident in Chouhan's home district Sehore.

In June, Madhya Pradesh witnessed widespread and violent agitation by farmers demanding farm loan waiver and fair price for their produce.

--IANS

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