Farmer’s Widow Gets Suicide-Compensation Claim Reconsidered After Karnataka HC Sets Aside Rejection

The petitioner, the widow of an agriculturist who died by suicide on 2 November 2022, sought compensation under the State Government’s farmer-suicide policy dated 31 October 2019.

The Assistant Director of Agriculture rejected her request on 6 June 2025 on the ground that it had not been made within the prescribed time.

The petitioner relied on revenue reports and a Tahsildar’s communication dated 24 April 2025, which recorded that the Revenue Inspector had conducted an inspection and forwarded a report seeking compensation.

She challenged the rejection and sought reconsideration of her claim

The Court applied the Karnataka Government Order dated 31 October 2019, which provides for compensation to the family of an agriculturist who dies by suicide due to financial distress.

As described by the Court, dependants must apply to the Assistant Director of Agriculture within three months of the death; if they do not, they may apply to the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner within six months.

The Court treated the Tahsildar’s report and the underlying Revenue Inspector’s inspection as evidence that the petitioner had sought compensation and that the authorities had processed her request and forwarded it to the Assistant Director and Deputy Commissioner.

It therefore concluded that the claim had been acted upon within the policy’s time limit and that the later request could be treated as a further representation seeking payment.

The judgment’s chronology is internally inconsistent: it records the death as occurring on 2 November 2022 and the Tahsildar’s communication as dated 24 April 2025, but nevertheless states that the report was within six months of the death.

It made no order as to costs.