One dies after 7 of a family attempt suicide in Ramanagara village

MANDYA, RAMANAGARA: A woman died while six others members of her family are critical after attempting suicide by consuming rat poison due to financial crisis, at Dodda Mannugudde in Ramanagara taluk on Thursday. The incident was under the jurisdiction of Ramanagara rural police station.

The deceased has been identified as Mangalamma (25). Six others are undergoing treatment at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) hospital in Mandya in the Intensive Care Unit and are responding to treatment. Police have recorded the statements of the family members.

All of them consumed rat poison mixed with their lunch, then ate sugar and banana. While Mangalamma died, Raju (32), Sollapuradamma (48), Savitha (sister) (24), son Akash (9), Krishna (13) and Darshini (4) daughter of Savita are undergoing treatment.

The deceased Managalamma (left), Raju and Darshini are undergoing treatment in the ICU at MIMS.

According the statement of the family members, they had gone to Raju’s father-in-laws grave on the outskirts of the village. All of them had taken two packets of rat poison each and stayed near grave for some time. Mangalamma died near grave after consuming the poison, but the others returned home.

Sources said that Raju had shifted from his hometown Subbarayappanapalya to his mother-in-law’s house, unable to bear the harassment by moneylenders. Raju had even lodged a complaint with the Tavarekere police station on January 5.

According to the complaint, Raju’s brothers Jairam and Kariyappa were refusing to return nearly Rs 10 lakh money, which he had given them three years ago. Jairam owed Rs 8 lakh and Kariyappa Rs 1.35 lakh, Raju said.

Raju also said in his complaint that he was in dire straits and that he was in a helpless situation. Raju too had borrowed loans of about Rs 7 lakh and moneylenders were torturing him and family, he sated. He also mentioned that one Muniranna Jaipura owed him Rs 70,000 and Venkataraman J V Jangamapala Rs 50,000.

People gathered before Raju’s mother-in-law’s house.

Chandrashekhar, a relative of Raju, said, “He had debts of Rs 10 lakh. He left the village as he could not tolerate the torture from the lenders. He might have taken the loan on heavy interest and was fed of the harassment “.

Another relative said, “One of my sisters called to inform me about the suicide attempt. By the time I reached Raju’s house, another relative had shifted all the seven to the government hospital”.