Debtridden farmer commits suicide

Bathinda, May 31 (UNI) Reeling under the mounting debt on his family, an elderly farmer, hailing from Beer Talab village, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree today.

The deceased was identified as Pritam Singh (60) who was under depression for the last few months due to increasing debt, sickness of wife and marriage of grown up daughter, according to family members.

His son, Sukhwinder Singh, said that his father went to irrigate the family's land in the morning. Later he sent him back home on the pretext that he would be coming shortly. After his son left the fields, Pritam Singh committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree with the help of his turban.

The family started searching for him after he failed to return home and found his body hanging from tree at Beer Talab Forest Department Park.

Senior police officials have reached the site and started investigations. The police sent the dead body for post mortem at local Civil Hospital.

Disclosing about the debt, Sukhwinder said that family had leased an acre of land for the marriage of their elder sister few years back and later took another loan of Rs 50,000 from a commission agent for treatment of his mother, Surjit Kaur. Unable to repay the loan, it reached to Rs 1.5 Lakh now which led to tension in the family.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kissan Union Ekta Ugrahan, District President Shingara Singh Mann while condoling the death of the farmer demanded a compensation of Rs 5 Lakh for the family and a Government job to one of the family members.

UNI