In a troubling incident, two people died and two others are critical after a farmer and his four sons attempted suicide by consuming pesticide on Sunday at the house of a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader, in Jedcherla town of the state.
According to reports, the family of Gaddam Venkataiah was under intense pressure from local TRS leader Nayom Irfan, a private real estate dealer, to part with their 400 square yard plot in Golapally, which sits in a commercial zone and is believed to be worth at least Rs 60 lakh.
On Sunday, Venkataiah and his sons went to Irfan's residence, and took out the pesticide bottles they had with them once talks failed. While the four sons consumed the pesticide, people at the TRS leader’s house managed to prevent Venkataiah from drinking it.
"Irfan has been threatening us. We tried to resist. He told us that there was no way he was going to give up on the land. He also told us that he had enough influence in the government to get the land records changed to show that it does not belong to us," a distraught Venkataiah told the Times of India.
B Shiva Kumar, the TRS district in-charge, however denied these charges and told the newspaper that Irfan was helping the family "settle a dispute."
A report in Deccan Chronicle adds that Venkataiah, was also the president of the Kuruma Sangam in the area, and had purchased a land for the association’s office. At the same time, he also bought land for his personal use in the same area.
“Venkataiah alleged that a TRS leader was supporting the Sangam and that’s why police and MRO did not help him. He and his family went to the TRS leader’s house,” the DSP told the newspaper, adding that they consumed pesticide after a short quarrel.
Ironically, the Jedcherla police have reportedly registered a case of attempted suicide against Venkataiah and his sons, but have not mentioned the TRS leader's name in the case.