A tragic incident occurred on January 18, 2025, when 54-year-old Jadhav Devrao, a farmer from Bela Mandal in Adilabad, Telangana, took his own life inside a local ICICI Bank branch. Devrao, who had taken a loan of ₹3.4 lakh in 2019 with his 5 acres of land as collateral, was struggling to make his repayments. He missed his ₹25,000 installment for October 2024, which he claimed led to harassment by bank officials.
On the day of the incident, Devrao entered the bank premises and consumed Monosil, a pesticide. Despite being rushed to RIMS hospital, he could not be saved. He is survived by his wife, who is a kidney patient, and a son, Akash Devrao. Akash has filed a complaint with the police, accusing the bank of harassment.
The police have initiated an investigation into the matter, though the preliminary findings have not yet confirmed the allegations of harassment. Devrao had taken the loan under the PM Kisan Credit Mortgage scheme, but his loan was ineligible for the farm loan waiver program introduced by the Congress government. Under the scheme, loans up to ₹2 lakh were eligible for a waiver, but mortgage loans like Devrao’s were excluded.
The incident has sparked political reactions. KT Rama Rao, the working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), criticized the Congress government on social media. He shared CCTV footage from the bank and called the incident a result of the government’s “failed governance.”
Rama Rao expressed his anger, stating, “This is daylight murder of a Telangana farmer by your Congress government. Jadhav Devrao, a 50-year-old tribal farmer, broken by your failed promises, decided that ending his life was the only option. He consumed poison in the bank, leaving behind his ailing wife and son. All because of your failed promises.”
He further criticized the Congress government for not delivering on their promises, claiming that less than 40% of farmers received the ₹2 lakh farm loan waiver, and accusing the government’s Rythu Bharosa scheme of being ineffective. He concluded by urging the Congress to acknowledge the suffering of Telangana’s farmers and address their concerns.
The police investigation is ongoing as they continue to gather evidence. The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of farmers and the impact of financial pressures on their well-being.
committing suicide is not a solution for anything.
I request to the Branch Managers that where they feel incompetent to solve the problem, they must enquire about their family problems, any other kind of domestic or social liability if any, so the farmers should feel that a personal touch is given to them. Because otherwise the customers, especially farmers, owner of cottage industry, etc. feel themselves insulted.