Bengaluru: Eight members of a family attempted to end their lives by setting themselves on fire in front of Karnataka Assembly here on Wednesday.
The family members, including women and children, wanted to self-immolate themselves by pouring kerosene on themselves outside the Vidhan Soudha. However, police intervened promptly to prevent the mass tragedy.
The family members were detained. A case has been registered under IPC sections 309 (attempted suicide) and 990 (creating public nuisance related to suicide).
The family chose such a desperate move as they were upset with a bank which wanted to auction their house to recover loan dues, police said.
“I have come here to beg Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for justice. We have come to the streets, and I don’t have money to feed my child. (Minister) Zameer Ahmed Khan promised us, but nothing happened,” said a female member of the family before pouring kerosine on herself.
In 2016, the family had taken a loan of Rs 50 lakh from Bangalore City Cooperative Bank to start a ginger cultivation business. Unfortunately, they incurred heavy losses in the venture and struggled to repay the loan.
The family then approached the Karnataka minister.
“Despite assurance by the minister to lower interest on the loan, the bank kept imposing higher rates,” India Today quoted a family member as saying.
As the EMIs piled up, the bank moved to auction their house to recover increasing dues.
The auction of their house, valued at Rs 3 crore, was initiated at Rs 1.41 crore.
