Body of farmer cremated

Mysore, Dec 22 (UNI) The villagers of Harave in Chamarajanagar district about 60 km from here, who refused to cremate the body of the farmer, who committed suicide on Wednesday after the alleged harassment from a private bank for repayment of his tractor loan agreed to perform last rites of his body today.

Deputy Commissioner Viswanatha Reddy assured the farmers who were on a stir demanding compensation by private sector ICICI bank, which they alleged had harassed the farmer for repayment that drove him to consume poision, that government would announce a solatium and necessary action would be taken against the Bank the villagers withdrawn their dharna keeping the body of Siddraju.

Tension prevailed in the village since last three days following the protest even as the body began to decompose after post mortem was conducted on Thursday morning.

The farmer had taken loan from ICICI bank for Rs 4.97 lakhs for purchase of the Tractor last year and bank had issued an notice to repay the loan amount. However, unable to repay the loan farmer had committed suicide.

This was the second such case from the same bank in the district since last one week. Earlier another farmer Manjunath of Nanjangud taluk also committed suicide for the same reason.

The ICICI bank at the behest of Mysore district administration had settled the issue by depositing Rs ten lakhs in joint account in the name of deceased mother and district administration.

However, in connection with the latest incident, the bank officials denied the allegations and had written a letter deputy commissioner in this regard.

UNI