A debt-ridden farmer in drought-affected Beed district of Marathwada region here is battling for his life after an alleged poisoning attempt by some moneylenders.
The farmer, Ramdas Jogdand, who had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from private moneylenders, was admitted to the government hospital in a critical condition after the moneylenders allegedly forced him to consume poison on Friday, said Beed SP Anil Paraskar.
The incident comes after Maharashtra ministers toured the district, along with Latur and Osmanabad, to review the drought situation. Mr Jogdand had taken a Rs 1-lakh loan in 1997 from two private moneylenders for his sister’s marriage, the IPS officer said.
Mr Jogdand’s brother told police that despite repaying the loan and interest, the farmer was facing repeated demands for another Rs 50,000. Seven persons, including the two moneylenders have been detained, the SP said, adding a complaint had been filed.
“We had even sent letters to the CM to allow us to end our lives as we were fed up with the moneylenders’ harassment,” the farmer’s brother said. As many as 3,228 farmers committed suicide in the state last year, the highest in the last 14 years.
