Maharashtra farmers' protest: Four commit suicide in Nashik in two days

Nashik: Four debt-ridden farmers allegedly committed suicide in the last two days in Nashik district where one of them set up his own funeral pyre, officials said on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_3733775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Supadu Bhika Pawar, 77, a resident of Vadner-Khakurdi village in Malegaon taluka set up his own funeral pyre and then sat in it at his home on Wednesday, sub-divisional officer Ajay More said. When some locals noticed smoke emanating from Pawar’s house, they rushed in and took him to Malegaon’s civil hospital where the doctors declared him dead, More said. Pawar had taken farm loan in the name of his wife and was finding it difficult to pay it off, the family members said. A case has been registered at Vadner-Khakurdi police station in connection with the incident. Another farmer, Kacharu Punja Aher, 65, from Shivur village in Chandvad taluka, stressed over a loan burden of Rs 3 lakh in his son’s name, consumed poison on Tuesday night. The collector’s office on Wednesday received a report of his suicide, the revenue department sources said. In another incident, Harishchandra Vasant Ahire, a resident of Brahmangaon in Baglan taluka, ended his life by jumping into a well on Wednesday morning, tehsildar Sunil Soundane said. As per preliminary information, Ahire had farm debt, he said. Besides, 32-year-old Appasaheb Khanderao Jadhav, a resident of Borale in Chandvad taluka, ended his life on Tuesday night by touching a live electric wire, police said. He was apparently under stress as he received a notice for non-payment of Rs 50,000 loan which he had taken from a cooperative society in 2010, police added.