Even in death, farmer Banmali Bhue had no escape from sufferance. After he consumed poison and succumbed in a hospital, his body was mauled by rats in the mortuary much to the revulsion of the tragedy-struck family.
Bhue (55) of village Bisalkhinda under Sason Police Limits took pesticide on Wednesday. He was rushed to district headquarters hospital and later shifted to VSS Medical, Burla, but he succumbed on Thursday night. He is survived by his wife, three sons besides two married daughters.
Ironically, the body kept in the morgue for postmortem was found on Friday with an eyelid missing and injuries at various places with rodents nibbling at the body. Reports said the farmer under pressure of debt had walked out his house on Wednesday night and was found in precarious condition along the canal in the village. Later his sons located him and could smell strong pesticide and rushed him to the hospital. His sons revealed that they own 1.5 acres and had taken on lease another four acres. But despite being irrigated patch of land, the yield failed them and Bhue was under intense pressure to repay the loan. He had availed Rs 15,000 loan from Sason Cooperative Society besides Rs 35,000 private loan and was worried over repayment after crop failure.
Sambalpur sub-collector Rainu Singh rushed to the village on Friday and enquired about the circumstances leading to Bhue committing suicide.
