Digapahandi: A farmer of Hatiadi village in Karapada panchayat under this block of Ganjam who consumed pesticide to end life died at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Ramachandra Pradhan. Baidyanathpur police registered a case and handed over the body to his family members after post-mortem.
The incident sparked tension in the area with BJP workers led by party’s district unit vice-president Subhendu Padhi, party leaders Paresh Chandra Rath, Prabhat Kiran Sarangi, Mahant Chinmayananda Maharaj putting up the body outside the Digapahandi tehsil office and staging a demonstration demanding compensation for the bereaved family.
They relented after tehsildar Adwait Kumar Swain held discussions with Berhampur sub-collector Diganta Routray and gave away Rs 5,000 to the bereaved family from the District Red Cross Fund.
Family members and BJP leaders claimed that Pradhan had cultivated paddy in the Kharif season by borrowing from various sources. He suffered crop loss due to lack of irrigation and scant rainfall. This pushed him to distress and he consumed pesticide to commit suicide.
When contacted, the tehsildar said a probe will be conducted into the matter Wednesday.
PNN
