Maratha protest: Man puts FB post before committing suicide

Image Courtesy: Facebook/Pramod Patil

AURANGABAD: Pramod Jaising Hore committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train to show support for the Maratha quota demand, police said on Monday.

Before committing suicide, Hore posted photos of himself on Facebook where he is seen standing on the railway tracks. He wrote in the Facebook post, मराठा आरक्षण जिव जाणार.. (Maratha reservation will be done). His friends commented on the post and asked him not to take the extreme step but it was too late till then. 

In his message on Facebook, the Hore had said in Marathi, "Chala aaj ek Maratha jaatoy, pan kahi tari Maratha arakshanasathi kara, jai jijau-aapla Pramod Patil (today one Maratha is leaving... But do something for the Maratha reservation... )," a police official said. 

Hore also shared a message on WhatsApp on Sunday saying he would be ending his life in support of the reservation demand.

Hore allegedly jumped before the running train in Mukundwadi area here in central Maharashtra late on Sunday. His body was found on the railway tracks on Monday morning.

On learning about his suicide, a large number of people gathered outside his house. His family members said they will not take possession of the body till the state government takes a final decision on the issue of reservation, over which the Maratha community has been agitating.

Three protesters had died in the last one week during the ongoing agitation by the Maratha community, which is seeking 16 per cent quota in government jobs and education. The politically influential community constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population.

The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation. However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn.