MH-FARMER-SUICIDE

Farmer hangs self in Nashik, 2018 toll now 108 claim officials
    Nashik/Malegaon, Dec 16 (PTI) A farmer with a loan of
Rs 4 lakh allegedly committed suicide in Maharashtra's Nashik
district Saturday, with local officials claiming that the
number of farmer suicides in the region stood at 108 for the
current year.
    Nilesh Dharmaraj Hyalij (28) hanged himself at around
9am Saturday in Mouje-Vajirkhede village in the district's
Malegaon area, Tehsildar Jyoti Devare said. He had a pending
loan of Rs 4 lakh, Devare added.
    Vadner-Khakurdi police registered a case in connection
with the farmer's death and were probing further to ascertain
its cause.
    On December 12, a 40-year-old farmer, identified as
Prabhakar Walmik Hagavane of Nyaydongri village in Nandgaon
tehsil here, allegedly committed suicide and a note
purportedly written by him mentioned that he had taken loans
from a bank and credit society, police said.
    Sources in the Nashik collectorate said 108 farmers
had committed suicide in the district in 2018, including 15 in
November and nine in December.
    Of these, 20 cases are from Baglan, 16 from Dindori
and 15 from Malegaon, these sources informed.
    Officials said that inquiries with the kin of these
farmers revealed that loans, lack of rainfall this monsoon and
crop damage were among the reasons for the extreme step. PTI
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