Bihar: Driven by poverty, silk weaver kills self

BHAGALPUR: Thirty-five-year-old Anand Das, a silk weaver and resident of Nathnagar locality in the town, committed suicide on Friday allegedly due to frustration out of abject poverty and starvation-like situation in his house.
The deceased, a power loom weaver, was out of work for more than four months due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.
SHO of Nathnagar police station Sajjad Hussain said police have started an investigation into the incident.“We are looking into all aspects and waiting for the postmortem report. No written complaint regarding suicide due to poverty has been lodged by the family yet,” he said.
Das was staying with his wife, Laxmi Devi, and three daughters at the house of his in-laws in Phulwaria village under Jagdishpur block, where he took the extreme step. Laxmi, in her statement to the police, cited unemployment and abject poverty as the reasons for her husband’s suicide.
Alim Ansari, secretary of Resham Bunkar Khadi Evam Gramodyog Sangh, said local weavers are out of work for several months.