Driven to despair by mounting debt burden and “pressure” from private moneylenders to clear the debts, the Special Correspondent
KHAMMAM
of a tribal village and his wife ended their lives in a suspected suicide pact in Konijerla mandal.
The police identified the deceased couple as V Babu Rao, 27, vice-sarpanch and his wife Rangamma, 22, of Bodiyathanda in Konijerla mandal. The couple allegedly consumed a soft drink laced with pesticide before administering the poisonous substance to their two children at their home on Saturday, sources said. Babu Rao and Rangamma died during the course of treatment at a private hospital in Khammam in the early hours of Monday.
Their son and daughter, aged five and two years respectively, are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the town. Sources added that Babu Rao borrowed money from some private moneylenders for construction of a house in his village last year. He subsequently landed in debt trap during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The moneylenders allegedly exerted pressure on him to repay the loan amount with interest in the recent past.
Babu Rao allegedly entered into a suicide pact with his wife unable to find a way out to clear the spiralling debts. The Konijerla police registered a case and are on the lookout for the moneylenders who allegedly pestered Babu Rao to repay the loan with interest.
(Roshini - Suicide Prevention Helpline: 040-66202000)
