Sugarcane farmer ends life on factory premises

Upset over a sugar factory refusing to purchase his sugarcane produce for the 14 months, a farmer ended his life on the factory premises at Hammigi village in Mundargi taluk of Gadag district on Saturday.

The farmer has been identified as 56-year-old Hanumantha Kuri, a resident of Tigari village in Koppal taluk.

According to farmer’s family, Hanumantha harvested sugarcane crops cultivated on his 4-acre land a few days ago. He had been urging the Vijayanagar sugar factory at Hammigi village to lift the sugarcane crop.

On Saturday too, he urged the factory authorities to lift the sugarcane crops from his fields.

He informed them that since the crops had been already harvested, they would wither away if they were not weighed and shifted to the factory. He urged the factory authorities to send tractors to his fields.

However, his pleas fell on deaf ears, his family informed. An upset Hanumantha consumed poison on the factory premises, according to the onlookers.

He died on the way to the Mundargi taluk hospital. Hanumantha is survived by his wife and a disabled son.

As soon as the news spread, his family members, relatives and hundreds of residents, rushed to the taluk hospital and protested. Following the protest, security was beefed up at the hospital.

Meanwhile, several farmer leaders, including Hanumanthappa Holeyache, have demanded a detailed probe into the matter.

They have alleged that the ‘callous attitude’ of the factory’s administrative board was responsible for Hanumantha’s death.

A case has been booked in this regard at the Mundargi police station.