Lockdown tragedy: Unable to buy medicines for ailing father, Odisha youth ends life

Sambalpur: Failing to buy medicines for his ailing father, a 25-year-old distressed youth ended his life at Kushta Pada area under Khetarajpur police limits in Sambalpur district.

The deceased identified as Sunil Sahu was working at a garment shop in the city. He was the sole breadwinner of his family.

Sources said after the shop Sunil was working in got closed following announcement of the COVID-19 lockdown, he was facing a lot of difficulties in running the family. But fate had something even worse in store for him as he lost his job at the garment shop when it reopened. With no source of income, Sunil was not able to  buy medicines for his bedridden father suffering from paralysis, let alone getting food thrice a day. Besides, pending tuition fee of his younger brother, a Class 10 student, also burdened the youth.

Losing mental balance due to the poverty caused by the lockdown, Sunil decided to take the extreme step on Monday night. At around 9 pm, he went outside and did not return to the house after that. On Tuesday morning, he  was found hanging from a tree near Sadak Ghat at Bada Bazar.