Farmer allegedly commits suicide due to crop loss

A farmer has allegedly committed suicide in Odisha's Jajpur district with his family claiming that he was depressed due to crop loss and debt burden, police said today.
Debendranath Mohapatra (43) allegedly consumed pesticide at his village Khetrapal on Wednesday night and was immediately taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack where he succumbed yesterday afternoon, they said.
According to his family members, Mohapatra had cultivated paddy on his own two acres land after borrowing Rs 50,000 from private financial organisations and local co-operative society.
Mohapatra was expecting a good harvest, but all his hopes were dashed by the double whammy of scant rainfall and pest attack on paddy crops. His standing paddy crops wilted. Depressed over the development, he took the extreme step, they claimed.

"We are inquiring into the death of Debendra from all accounts. Revenue Inspector (RI) concerned has been asked to report whether he was a farmer and about his loan burden. We will do the needful after receiving the RI's report," said Dharmasala Tahasildar Ranjan Jena.