A 62-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide by touching a live electric wire at a distribution point (DP) in Borgaon (Budruk) village of Kaij tehsil on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Ramesh Dnyanoba Gavane, who owned around eight acres of fertile farmland on the banks of the Manira River. According recently flooded, destroying his standing soybean crop and washing away the fertile top-soil. Distraught over the loss, Gavane reportedly rushed to the DP and deliberately touched a naked electric wire to end his life. He was immediately taken to the Kaij sub-district hospital and later referred to the Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Government Medical College and Hospital, Ambejogai. However, doctors declared him dead.
The Maharashtra government in July revealed that 767 farmers took their lives in the state during the first quarter of 2025, highlighting a deepening crisis in the agricultural sector. In a written response to the Legislative Council, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Jadhav Patil addressed concerns raised by opposition MLCs Dr Pradnya Rajeev Satav, Satej Patil, and Bhai Jagtap regarding the increasing suicide rates and delays in compensation. According to the minister’s statement, of the 767 reported cases between January and March this year, families of 373 farmers were deemed eligible for financial assistance, while 200 were found ineligible. Investigations into the remaining 194 cases are ongoing. Of the eligible cases, 327 families have received financial aid of Rs 1 lakh each, with actions underway to address the pending cases. The government has directed all divisional commissioners to expedite the resolution of these cases.