Mandya: In a tragic incident, a 48-year-old farmer died of snakebite at MYSUGAR factory premises in the town yesterday.

Bommaiah (48) of Belur in Mandya taluk is the deceased.

Bommaiah had bought sugarcane in a bullock cart to MYSUGAR factory two days ago and was waiting for his turn to off-load sugarcane, when a snake bit him at about 3 am and Bommaiah died sometime later.

But before he died, Bommaiah is said to have killed the snake.

Soon as the news of Bommaiah’s death spread, irate farmers staged a demonstration in the factory premises and took General Manager Boregowda to task for the absence of medical facilities in the sugar factory premises and demanded appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased.

Mandya MLA M. Srinivas and former Srirangapatna MLA Ramesh Babu Bandisiddegowda visited the spot and pacified the agitated farmers.

The farmers later withdrew the protest following an assurance on payment of Rs. 5 lakh compensation.