Unable to repay Rs 61,000 loan, farmer commits suicide in Jharkhand
Government dispatches a fact finding team to the village, Dist Admn sends a separate team to probe the incident
In continuation with the string of suicides that has triggered law and order crisis across the nation, a debt-ridden farmer allegedly ended his life by hanging himself from the roof of his house in Simalbera village, barely 20 km from Ranchi.
Though Kaleshwar Mahto (44) ended his life on Saturday, his suicide note was found late on Sunday.
In his suicide note, the farmer said he was taking the extreme step as he failed to repay loan under Kisan Credit Card (KCC). He requested the police not to trouble his family and asked asking his kin not to wail over his death. The farmer is survived by his mother, wife and two minor daughters.
The state government, meanwhile, dispatched a fact-finding team to the victim’s village on Monday while district administration sent a separate team led by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Bhor Singh Yadav in the afternoon.
Bank officials informed the district administration team that a loan of Rs 40,000 had been released in the name of victim’s wife Manorama Devi in 2010-2011.
“The outstanding amount of the loan had increased to Rs 61,000. Officials, however, said they never put any pressure on the farmer for repayment of the loan,” Ranchi deputy commissioner (DC), Manoj Kumar said, adding prima facie it doesn’t seem to be a case of due to the loan.
He said they are investigating the case in every possible angles such as why family members did not inform police about his death while the police outpost is few metres away from the village. The team was told by the family members that he was struck by heat wave and was not feeling well for last few days.
The DC said, “A suicide note is circulating even in Whatsapp. We are sending it for forensic probe.”
Late Mahto’s wife Manorama Devi told media persons, “We had planted crops of moong dal (split green gram), radish and beet vegetable on around six acres of land. But, all crops damaged in absence of irrigation facility.”
Late Mahto’s brother Baleshwar Mahto said that a bank official had visited their house few days back and he suggested to start repayment of the loans.
“Mahto was depressed for last couple of days but we had no clue that he would take such extreme step,” he said.
Secretary, state agriculture and animal husbandry department, Puja Singhal said, “A four-member team led by director agriculture, Rajiw Kumar visited the village to probe the alleged suicide. The team was asked to submit report by the evening.”
Meanwhile, the leader of opposition Hemant Soren also met the deceased family and demand the state government to grant Rs 10 lakh compensation and job to a member of the family.
