Karnataka Farmer Attempts Suicide Near Vidhana Soudha After NHAI Cuts Compensation by 99 Percent

A farmer from Chikkamagaluru allegedly attempted suicide near Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon, reportedly over a prolonged dispute regarding compensation for land acquired for a National Highway project. The incident occurred around 12:45 pm, when police personnel stationed in the high-security zone intervened and prevented the attempt, later detaining the individual.

According to police officials, the farmer, identified as T N Vishukumar from Haliyur village in Tarikere taluk, has been protesting for several years over the compensation issue linked to land acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in 2016. Authorities said he had repeatedly approached government departments seeking resolution, but the matter remained unresolved.

The farmer allegedly claimed that around 1.5 acres of his land, along with sandalwood trees cultivated on it, were taken up for a highway project. He further alleged that the initial compensation estimate for the land and trees was around Rs 62 crore, but was later revised to approximately Rs 62 lakh following a valuation conducted by the Forest Department.

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Police stated that Vishukumar had earlier staged a protest at Vidhana Soudha in February, highlighting his grievances over the compensation delay. Officials added that he has been under significant financial and mental stress due to the prolonged nature of the dispute, which has stretched over nearly a decade.

Following Tuesday’s incident, security personnel immediately intervened to prevent any harm and took the farmer into custody for questioning. The area around Vidhana Soudha, which is heavily guarded due to its status as Karnataka’s legislative hub, witnessed brief tension before normalcy was restored.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the compensation dispute, but the incident has once again drawn attention to pending land acquisition cases and compensation delays linked to infrastructure projects, particularly those involving the NHAI, which have frequently sparked protests in several parts of the state.

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