Farmer hangs himself outside village office in Kozhikode, 2 officials suspended [Video]

Farmer Kavil Purayidathil Joy took the extreme step at the Chembanoda village office in Kozhikode Joy handed over his suicide note to the village office staff on Wednesday and later committed suicide Joy’s brothers told Asianet News that he was unable to bear the mental torture from village authorities Kozhikode collector UV Jose visited the place and suspended both village officer and assistant officer

In a shocking incident, a farmer committed suicide by hanging himself outside a village office in Kozhikode on Wednesday night, allegedly due to the mental trauma caused by the village authorities.

Chakkittapara native Kavil Purayidathil Thomas, alias Joy, took the extreme step after the staff of the Chembanoda village office turned him away on several occasions when he attempted to pay the land tax, according to reports.

It is understood that the 57-year-old farmer handed over his suicide note to the village office staff on Wednesday evening and later committed suicide. His body was found at around 9.15 pm. 

Tension prevailed in the area after the police's attempts to remove Joy's body met with widespread protests by his relatives and local residents, who insisted the body would be removed only after the tahsildar and the district collector visit the place.

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Joy’s brothers told Asianet News that he was unable to bear the mental torture from the village authorities. They said that Joy had to pay the land tax in order to to avail loans for various expenses, including his daughter's marriage. However, the village officials refused to let him pay the tax, without giving any valid reasons for the same.

Later, Kozhikode collector UV Jose visited the place and suspended village officer Sunny and assistant officer Sireesh over the incident. Revenue minister E Chandrasekharan has sought a report from the collector regarding the turn of events that led to the suicide.

It was also learnt that Joy was allowed to pay the land tax last year only after he staged a hunger strike outside the village office with his family.

Joy is survived by wife Molly and children Ambili, Anju and Amal. The Congress has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the Chakkittapara panchayat on Thursday.