Lucknow: Driven by abject poverty, a father in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh has appealed to local authorities to permit the mercy killing of his three mentally challenged sons.

Bheem Sen Kushwaha, who is a farmer in Kanakpur village, has submitted an application for the mercy killing of his teenage sons to the district administration, reports IANS. Kannauj is about 250 km from Lucknow.

"In his application, Kushwaha has stated that he has already exhausted all of his resources in trying to meet the medical expenses of his three mentally challenged sons... so he wants them to be killed," a state revenue official informed.

Kushwaha, 55, said in his application that he is only left with his thatched hut, having sold off his small piece of land and other belongings like brass utensils for the treatment of his sons who have been mentally challenged since birth.

Talking about the district administrations initiatives to help Kushwaha, Kannauj District Magistrate S V S Rangarao said that his office is also discussing the matter with members of various NGOs. "We will try our best to provide the necessary treatment to Kushwaha's sons," he assured.