Tenant farmer commits suicide

Guntur: A tenant farmer from the Prathipadu Assembly Constituency committed suicide on Sunday after consuming pesticide. The incident has cast a somber mood over the community, highlighting the severe financial distress faced by some farmers.

The deceased, Challagiri Nagaraju (45), a resident of YSR Colony in Prathipadu, consumed pesticide near a local brick kiln on June 25. Locals who found him immediately rushed him to Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH), but he tragically succumbed while undergoing treatment on Sunday.

Originally from Pedanandipadu, Nagaraju had been living in Prathipadu and cultivating four acres of leased land, where he grew crops such as chilli, cotton, and tobacco.

Sources indicate that a significant factor contributing to his extreme step was the mounting debt he incurred after being unable to sell his tobacco produce from the previous year. Overwhelmed by financial burden and the inability to repay his loans, he took his own life.

Nagaraju is survived by his wife, Ramadevi, and two daughters. Following a complaint filed by his wife, local police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident.