Hyderabad: A paddy farmer attempted suicide near the CM’s camp office at Panjagutta after security officers stopped him from entering the premises to meet Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday. P. Mallesh, a native of Jogulamba Gadwal district, drank poison in front of the police officials, who rushed him to Gandhi Hospital.
After preliminary treatment, doctors said his condition was stable and that he would be discharged.
Collector visits farmer’s kin
Mallesh, who cultivates paddy on his two-acre land, said that he had run up over Rs10 lakh in debt due to shortage of water. He had gone to meet the CM to express his grievance. He said he had dug five borewells after borrowing from a bank and private moneylenders, but could not hit water. Mallesh had to repay a lender Rs 2 lakh in a week.
“I came to meet the CM to seek help because I have a huge debt. I tried to meet him twice but the they (security officials) did not allow me inside,” he said. The police asked Mallesh to leave because he did not have an appointment. When he went to the camp office gate again, they stopped him. He immediately took out a bottle of pesticide and drank in front of the police. The Punjagutta police has started an investigation.
After the suicide attempt, collector Rajat Kumar Saini visited his house and talked to his wife and children to find out his financial condition and submit a report to the government.
