Hyderabad: Farmer, kin try to end life at Chief Minister's Camp Office

Hyderabad: Another debt-ridden farmer and his family attempted suicide near the Chief Minister’s Camp Office Pragati Bhavan here on Thursday. Banoth Nagarjuna, a farmer from Suryapet district, along with his daughter and nephew consumed poison, but the trio were rescued by the cops and rushed to the hospital. This is the second such incident near Pragathi Bhavan. In May, a chilli farmer from Jogulamba Gadwal district, Mallesh, had attempted suicide after he was denied permission to meet the Chief Minister.

Tejavath Srinivas

Banoth Nagarjuna, 38, belongs to Laalu tanda, Sirikonda village in Mote mandal in Suryapet district. The year 2013 was with little or no monsoon. Nagarjuna lost his crop and went into depression. Later, he also developed heart disease. Nagarjuna had been trying to meet the Chief Minister since 2014 to get some financial help from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, but he had been unable to so. Nagarjuna also wanted the Chief Minister’s help to secure a seat for his daughter in the Gurukul schools run by the state government.

In the past few months, he had visited the Chief Minister’s camp office at least four times to meet the Chief Minister, but he did not succeed. On Thursday, he came with his daughter Navya, 14, and nephew Tejavath Srinivas, 18, to the CM camp office to meet the CM, but the trio was denied entry by the security personnel citing security issues. Deeply upset about this, they walked towards the Begumpet flyover and consumed pesticide.

Banoth Nargarjuna

As soon as they reached Pragati Bhavan, they collapsed on the footpath. Security personnel noticed this and rushed them to Gandhi Hospital, where they were moved to the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors said that Nagarjuna and Srinivas are recovering, but Navya’s condition was critical. Meanwhile, Punjagutta police registered an attempt to suicide case.