Farmer allegedly commits suicide over govt land grab

A farmer's unnatural death in Kondaveedu of Guntur district on Tuesday sparked political heat in Andhra Pradesh with the opposition holding the Nara Chandrababu Naidu's government responsible for the most unfortunate incident.

Petal Koteswar Rao alias Kotaiah was rushed to hospital from his Papaya farm by the Guntur police just before the Chief Minister was to address a meeting as a part of Kondaveedu festival. However, they left him in the hands of the villagers after reaching the check post. The farmer was declared as brought dead by the doctors.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu came under attack by all the major opposition parties charged that the farmer was tortured to death by Guntur police for refusing to give his land to make a temporary helipad for the CM.

Armed with a video shot on a mobile camera two policemen were seen carrying the limp body of the farmer towards a jeep and whisking away, the opposition party's termed the death as most foul and alleged that the farmer was beaten to death as he refused to sacrifice his standing plantation of Papaya plants.

The Main opposition YSRCP is sending a five-member fact-finding team consisting of legislators from Guntur district to Kondaveedu on Wednesday. State unit of BJP wrote to the Union Home Minister seeking a central probe into the tragedy. BJP AP president K Lakshminarayana alleged that the police had poured pesticides into Kotaiah's mouth to cover up the death due to torture as a case of suicide. Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan also demanded an independent probe into the tragedy.

The Chief Minister, on the other hand, condoled the unnatural death of the farmer and announced Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the bereaved family. Local TDP leaders said that the farmer had resorted to the extreme due to 'family disputes'.

District superintendent of police Rajasekhara Babu said that land was used for setting up a temporary police control room only with the consent of Kotaiah. Only a part of the crop was damaged when the police carried Kotaiah in an unconscious stage through the field to the hospital. He contended that Kotaiah had consumed pesticide four hours before the CM's scheduled arrival.