Panchayat poll candidate humiliation: After husband, wife too dies in Odisha

Cuttack: A Panchayat poll candidate, who had consumed poison following her husband’s death over ‘harassment’ by winning party’s supporters in Bhadrak district, died today after battling for life since over the past week.

Sumati Parida, who was the Panchayat Samiti member candidate and lost in the rural body elections, died while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College & Hospital in Cuttack on 10th day of her husband’s demise.

She had taken the extreme step to end her life on March 13 after her husband Ramakanta Parida died by suicide on the fateful night.

Ramakanta Parida, the resident of Bada Agapur village in Padmapur panchayat under Basudevpur Block in Bhadrak district, had hung himself with a rope inside his house after allegedly being harassed and mocked by the supporters of winning party for his wife’s loss in the Panchayat elections.

The incident occurred on March 13 evening when a grand procession was taken out by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at Padmapur Panchayat to celebrate party’s victory in the Panchayat Elections, whose results were announced following three-day-long vote counting in February last week.

As per allegations by deceased person’s family, Ramakanta was present in front of his house to see the BJD procession when it reached Bada Agapur village. When the supporters of winning Samiti member candidate saw him during the victory procession, they started mocking at him and his wife.

Allegedly, the supporters of winning Samiti member candidate had humiliated him in front of the villagers. Under immense mental stress, he hung himself with a rope from a ceiling fan inside the house. The family members immediately took him to the District Headquarters Hospital, Bhadrak, where he was declared dead.

Following the incident, Sumati consumed poison to end her life. The villagers rushed her the Bhadrak hospital in critical condition. Later, she was shifted to the SCB Hospital for treatment.

Also Read: Winning party’s supporters harass losing candidate, Odisha couple attempts suicide