Upset over crop damage, Meerut farmer ends life

Upset after unseasonal rain and hailstorm damaged his crops, a Meerut farmer committed suicide by consuming poison Saturday morning at his field in Hasanpur Rajapur village in Saroorpur police station area.

Family members of Sodan Singh (53) said he owned three bighas of land and had sown wheat on around 12 acre through contractual farming, but unseasonal rain damaged the crop. Singh was in debt of nearly Rs 1.91 lakh, Rs 44,000 of which he had borrowed from the local money lender.

“My father was worried as he knew that he would not get more money after the crop was ruined,” said Singh’s son Raj. He is survived by three daughters and a son. The family said they had informed the local administration but no one cared to visit.