Deceased Odisha farmer's widow appeals not to complicate issue

Hurt over Odisha Agriculture minister's statement that her husband had committed suicide due to a quarrel with her, deceased farmer Hadu Bagarti's widow Kalabati today urged all not to further complicate the issue.
"I have already given my statement to the Bargarh district Collector in presence of villagers on my husband's death. Now everyone is requested to allow the matter to rest and help us restart life," Kalabati told reporters after submitting an affidavit before the additional tehsildar of Bargarh.
State Agriculture minister Pradeep Kumar Maharathy while giving a statement in the Assembly on March 4 had stated that Hadu Bagarti had committed suicide following a quarrel with his wife.

In her affidavit, Kalabati said her husband took the extreme step due to crop loss and not because of any family dispute.
As per the affidavit, Hadu consumed pesticide on February 26 and was spotted lying in the field in a critical condition.
The villagers rushed him to Bargarh District Hospital and later to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla.

The farmer died on February 28.
Hadu was under severe mental trauma due to crop loss, which happened due to failure in his borewell to pump water for irrigation owing to frequent power failure, she said.

In her affidavit Kalabati has further said there was good relationship within family members including Hadu's son and daughter-in-law.
"No altercation had ever taken place in the family," she said adding that family dispute, which was being cited as the reason behind the suicide, was completely fabricated and imaginary.
Farmer leader Hara Bania, who accompanied Kalabati to the Magistrate, said "Since the government officials submitted a fabricated and concocted report, we were asked to make a sworn affidavit in front of the Executive Magistrate.
"We will submit the affidavit to the President of India, Supreme Court, Chief Minister, Union Agriculture Minister, state Agriculture minister and the Human Rights Commission," he said.