Police save farmer as he makes an attempt to end his life during agitation in Bidar

The farmers were protesting for scientific compensation for land lost to the Karanja Irrigation Project, after giving a call for suicide en masse

A 74-year-old farmer, who was participating in an agitation demanding scientific compensation to farmers who have lost their land to the Karanja Irrigation Project in Bidar district, made an attempt to end his life by consuming poison in Bidar on Wednesday.

The farmer was later identified as Nagashetti from Rekulagi village in Bidar taluk.

The agitation was organised by the Karanja Horata Samiti, a platform of farmers who have lost land to the project, at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Circle in Bidar.

The agitators were seen raising slogans demanding that the government pay scientific compensation or allow them to commit suicide en masse. The agitating farmers were stopped when they were rushing towards the office of the Deputy Commissioner carrying nooses.

As the police stopped them, Nagashetti took out the poison bottle from his inner-wear and consumed it. Policemen immediately snatched the bottle and rushed him to a nearby private hospital in a police vehicle.

Sources in the police said that the farmer is out of danger as he was rushed to hospital in time.

Alerted by the call for collective suicide during the agitation, the police frisked every agitating farmer before the agitation started. However, they could not find the poison bottle as it was hidden by Nagashetti in his inner-wear.

“We snatched the poison bottle before the farmer could consume it. However, there was a possibility of a few drops spilling into his mouth. Therefore, we immediately rushed him to hospital,” a police officer told media representatives.

(Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani on Ph: 104 for help.)

Published - December 11, 2024 08:40 pm IST