Arrested farmers find chilli bags missing from Khammam market yard

Arrested farmers find chilli bags missing from Khammam market yard
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It was a double whammy for a group of 10 red chilli farmers who were arrested in connection with the April 28, attack on the red chilli market yard here. Firstly, they were booked in a false case and secondly, they found some of the red chilli bags brought to the market on the fateful day missing. 

Khammam: It was a double whammy for a group of 10 red chilli farmers who were arrested in connection with the April 28, attack on the red chilli market yard here. Firstly, they were booked in a false case and secondly, they found some of the red chilli bags brought to the market on the fateful day missing.

It may be recalled that an irate group of farmers, peeved at the crashing down of red chilli prices, attacked the market yard and destroyed the furniture there on April 28. The state government arrested 10 farmers blaming them for the attack and put them behind the bars.

However, they were let out on bail after a fortnight. Upon released on bail, they made enquiries with the staff at the market yard to trace their missing red chilli bags since many bags brought to the market for sale on that day had gone missing.

A tenant farmer Sattu Kondaiah of Banapuram in Mudigonda mandal of the district cultivated red chilli in his two-acre leased land. He spent Rs 80,000 on an acre to raise the crop. On that fateful day, he took 80 bags to the market for sale. However, he was arrested on the fateful day and sent to remand. Upon released on bail, he found 30 of the 80 bags missing.

Meanwhile, the commission agent pleaded ignorance when Kondaiah approached him to trace the missing bags. With bags missing and a case pending, Kondaiah's family is now a shattered one. More pathetic is the family now is not in a position to pay the lease amount for the lands.

Another farmer Nelluri Venkateswarlu of Banapuram in Mudigonda mandal took 74 bags of red chilli, harvested in four acres, to the market. When the incident had taken place, he was not around. When he went to the market yard later in the evening to take care of the chilli bags, he found 24 bags missing.

Venkateshwarlu did not any reply when he questioned the market officials regarding the issue. His mother Mangamma expressed anguish oover the disappearance of 24 bags. She said her son had worked hard and cultivated the crop borrowing money from others.

Yet another farmer Islawat Balya of Lakshmipuram in Kallur mandal took 45 bags harvested in two acres of tenant lands. When he took the product to the market on that fateful day to sell it, he was arrested in the case. Upon released on bail, he could locate only 10 bags.

The distressed farmers have been appealing to the government to consider their case sympathetically and compensate for the loss.

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