A 75-year-old farmer was found dead at his house at Appapara, near Kattikulam, in Wayanad on December 8 evening.
The police identified the deceased as E.S. Sudhakaran of Elambilassery at Appapara under the Thirunelly police station limits.
The farmer was living alone in his house after the death of his wife Meenakshi. The body was found by a worker near his house.
Sudhakaran had borrowed ₹ 2.58 lakh from the Thirunelly Service Cooperative Bank in 2017-18 and ₹50,000 from a financial institution for cultivation but could not repay it due to crop loss, his relatives said.
Recently the cooperative bank authorities informed him that he had to pay a due of ₹5.30 lakh, including interest. The State Debt Relief Commission had written off a sum of ₹ 2 lakhs from the amount. The remaining amount should had to be paid within January 27 to get the benefit of loan waiver. He had tried to sell his 1.50 acre of land to repay the debt but failed as his land was on fringes of the forest, his relatives said. They suspected huge debt prompted him to take the extreme step.
He is survived by two children. Disha suicide prevention helpline can be reached at 1056, 0471-2552056.
