Madhya Pradesh farm crisis: Two more farmers commit suicide, death toll 15 in nine days

Bhopal: Deaths of two more debt-ridden farmers were reported on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh, taking the death toll in similar cases in the state in the past nine days to 15. Police said Lakshmi Prasad, 70, a resident of Dhamana village in Narsinghpur district, consumed a pesticide. He succumbed while being taken to the district hospital. [caption id=“attachment_3536253” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image of farmers protest in Madhya Pradesh. PTI[/caption] The reason why the elderly farmer committed suicide was yet to be ascertained, Kotwali police station incharge Akhilesh Dahiya said. The bereaved family said Prasad was under a debt of Rs 7 lakh. The crop he sowed on seven acres of land was destroyed in a fire, following which he had been pleading with officials concerned for compensation but to no avail, they alleged. He was, therefore, anxious on this count. Babulal, 40, of Randhal village in Hoshangabad district, set himself ablaze after dousing himself with kerosene on Friday. He succumbed to his burn injuries in Hameediya hospital in Bhopal late on Monday night. His family alleged that he was facing harassment at the hands of moneylenders, who will be booked in the case, area police station incharge Ram Snehi told IANS.