Vikarabad: Debts drive Telangana farmer to jump into fire, dies

A debt-ridden dalit farmer committed suicide by jumping into a stack of burning cotton shrubs on Wednesday in Bantwaram mandal of Vikarabad district. He was identified as Kotapu Srinivas (40).

The police said that Srinivas jumped into fire on Wednesday morning and succumbed to injuries late on Wednesday. According to the police, Srinivas cultivated cotton on his land in the village but was upset due to the mounting debts. Srinivas's brother Devaiah said that the victim was depressed for the past five days and was behaving abnormally.

"On Wednesday morning, he went to the cotton field, collected the dry cotton shrubs and set them on fire. Later, he jumped into the fire," Devaiah said. Hearing the screams, farmers from neighbouring fields rushed immediately, pulled him out and shifted Srinivas to Tandur government hospital.

The farmer was later sent to Osmania General Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.