Crushed under debt, powerloom owner, wife die by suicide

RAJANNA-SIRCILLA : Unable to bear the burden of mounting debts, a powerloom owner and his wife allegedly hanged themselves to death at their residence in Vempeta, Sircilla town, on Saturday afternoon.

According to sources, the victims — Bhairi Amar, 48, and Sravanthi, 45 — were under financial distress owing to the downturn in the powerloom sector and did not have any work orders from the government or private organisation for months. They are survived by their three children.

A local BRS leader, Diddi Raju, who is also a part of the weavers community, told reporters that Amar was buried in debt due to a lack of work orders and had already sold four of his looms to a scrap dealer to sustain himself and his family. “According to Amar’s relatives, the couple had borrowed`95 lakh, including a housing loan from a bank,” Raju said, urging the government to intervene in the matter and prevent such incidents in the future.