Debt-ridden farmer ends life

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 17

A debt-ridden farmer from Lelewala village in Talwandi Sabo committed suicide after consuming some poisonous substance in his field on Sunday night.

The deceased has been identified as Gurmel Singh (45). His wife Mandeep Kaur said he was the only brother of his three sisters.

Gurmel married off his daughter Jaspreet Kaur around three years ago after taking some loan. His elder son Jagdeep Singh is visually impaired by birth and he was spending a lot of money on his treatment. He owed Rs8 lakh to various banks and commission agents.

He had seven acres of land, but his debt kept on mounting as he didn’t get remunerative prices of his agricultural produce, said his family members.

According to information, he was under stress due to these reasons for some time, leading him to take the extreme step.

The family came to know about his suicide when his younger son Luvpreet Singh went to fields to serve his father tea this morning.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan leaders visited the bereaved family and demanded that the government should waive his debt and also award compensation to the family.