A farmer died while his wife was rescued in a critical condition after the elderly farmer couple attempted suicide by jumping into a pond at Tuna village under Koksara block of the district on Friday allegedly over crop failure.
Though locals managed to rescue the woman and rushed her to a hospital, the man identified as Sudarsan Majhi (65) drowned.
Reports said Sudarsan had cultivated rice in his five acre land. But due to scanty rainfall, his crops were damaged. Unable to bear the trauma, Sudarsan along with his wife took the extreme step.
“He was telling me yesterday that his crops got damaged and how he could look after his family? He was dejected,” said a villager Kailash Majhi.
“The post-mortem report would establish the exact cause of the death. The family of the deceased will be granted assistance as per the rules,” informed Kokasara Tehsildar Mausumi Nayak.
After an inquiry into the matter, it will be known whether the suicide was due to crop failure or not, added Nayak.