Debt-ridden farmer allegedly commits suicide, names PM Narendra Modi in note

YAVATMAL: A 50-year-old debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday by consuming poison. Identified as Shankar Bhaurao Chayre, the farmer has named Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his suicide note. He reportedly blamed the Central government and its policy for his death.

Shankar was under the debt of nearly Rs 1 lakh and could not get any benefit from the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme. Demanding to meet the Prime Minister, the family of the deceased refused to take over the body for last rites.

Chayare died while he was being taken to Yavatmal city for treatment. The loss of cotton crop due to a pest attack is suspected to be the prime reason behind the farmer taking the extreme step.

"Chayare had taken a loan of Rs 90,000 from a local credit cooperative society and borrowed Rs 3 lakh from a private money lender. He was a resident of Rajurwadi village under the Ghatanji police station limits in Yavatmal district," the SP said.

"The police have seized a purported suicide note. It mentions the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds him responsible (for the suicide), but we are yet to verify its authenticity and the actual cause of the death," Yavatmal Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj Kumar said.

He said the post-mortem report was awaited, following which the authenticity of the purported suicide note would be verified.

In Yavatmal district, the suicide of a distressed farmer was, for the first time, officially registered on March 19, 1986. Several farmer leaders in Maharashtra had observed a token fast on March 19 this year to draw the government's attention to the problem of agricultural distress. 

The farmer, belonged to Yavatmal district of Vidarbha, from where a number of farmer suicides had been reported in the past.