Debt-ridden sugarcane farmer commits suicide

A middle-aged sugarcane farmer allegedly hanged himself to death at Bastauli village of the district today over heavy debts and prolonged illness.
Satyapal Singh (40), in a suicide note addressed to the Bhira police station SHO, mentioned about debts of "Rs 1 lakh of Allahabad Bank, Rs 70,000 of UP Land Development Bank, Rs 38,000 of Bastauli Cane Society and Rs 20,000 of Bhira Cane Society," police said.
Besides, Singh has mentioned about "prolonged pain in his spinal cord" and stated that "he was left with no other option but to end his life."
Gola sub-divisional magistrate Shambhu Kumar, while confirming the suicide of the farmer, said "the administration was contemplating to award monetary relief to his family."

Ram Pratap, son of the deceased, said there were successive losses in farming leading to heavy burden of debts upon his father.
"Non-clearance of last years' cane dues and this year's losses made my father upset but we did not expect him to take the extreme step," he added.