Maharashtra: Farmer kills self, kin blame crop loss

A 50-year-old farmer in Maharashtra's Palghar district committed suicide by consuming pesticide, with his kin blaming the crop damage caused by unseasonal rains as the reason behind the October 29 incident, officials said on Saturday.

The deceased Dharma Jadhav was a resident of Zirwapada village in Dahanu taluka.

While no suicide note was recovered by the police, the victim's family members claimed he was depressed as unseasonal showers had flooded his field which destroyed the crop, an official said.

The district authorities, who are verifying the family's claims, said the deceased had not taken a loan from any financial institution.

Jadhav's kin will receive a compensation of Rs 4 lakh once the district agriculture department submits its report on the matter, Dahanu taluka tehsildar Rahul Sarang said.

The Kasa police have registered a case of accidental death and are awaiting the post-mortem report, inspector Anand Kale said.

The incident occurred at a time when the ruling parties--the BJP and the Shiv Sena- are locked in a bitter tussle over sharing of power in the next government even a week after the results of the October 21 assembly polls were announced.

Unseasonal rains have caused extensive damage to Kharif crops, especially cotton and soybean in many districts of Maharashtra, especially in the Marathwada region.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured that a Central team will take stock of the crop damage, following representations from various political parties to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

As the state seems to be in the midst of agrarian distress, a farmer from Beed district in Marathwada region recently expressed his desire to become the chief minister until the Sena and the BJP resolved their differences to solve problems of his fellow agriculturists.