Nanded, Oct 20: A 46-year-old farmer from Borgaon village in Nanded district allegedly died by suicide on Monday after posting a video online appealing to authorities for relief, police and district officials reported. The man, identified as Shankar Abanrao Kshirsagar, had cultivated soybean on a small holding that was damaged by a prolonged dry spell, and he told officials in the clip that he had not benefited from government relief schemes.
Video appeal, then disappearance
According to police, Kshirsagar recorded a short mobile video in which he asked why his name had not appeared on government lists for loan waiver and why his daughter’s medical college fees had not been waived despite submitting an application. Relatives and police began searching for him after the clip came to light.
Assistant police inspector Bodhankar of Limbgaon police station and Pandhari Bodhankar, in-charge of Borgaon police station, both reported that Kshirsagar was located hanging at his field on Monday afternoon. The in-charge said the farmer was found around 1pm and that his last rites were scheduled the same evening. No offence had been registered in connection with the death as of Monday night, the official said.
Financial burden and relief eligibility under review
Police said Kshirsagar had sown soybean on a small piece of land but suffered a poor harvest after prolonged breaks in rainfall. Officials reported that outstanding loans, crop loss and the cost of his daughter’s medical education had accumulated financial pressure on the family.
Officials began verifying Kshirsagar’s financial records and eligibility for drought-relief measures after the incident. K B Fiske, deputy registrar of cooperative societies, said the farmer had an outstanding crop loan of more than ₹2 lakh with Maharashtra Gramin Bank and that his details were visible on the government’s online database; his name, Fiske said, was expected to appear in an upcoming loan-waiver list.
- Crop: Soybean — damaged by dry spell
- Age: 46 years
- Debt: Outstanding crop loan of more than ₹2 lakh (Maharashtra Gramin Bank)
- Family: Survived by wife, a son pursuing engineering and two daughters (one studying medicine in Pune)
“He had recorded a video asking why he had not received relief despite crop loss and why his daughter’s fees were not waived,” a police official said.
Local context and administrative response
The death has focused attention in Marathwada on the implementation and reach of drought-relief measures and fee concessions announced for children of affected farmers. Nanded collector Rahul Kardile ordered a detailed inquiry into the circumstances, officials reported. Authorities said they are examining the records submitted by the family and cross-checking entries in government databases to confirm eligibility for relief schemes.
Both police and cooperative-society officials indicated that the case has prompted internal checks to ensure that eligible farmers are included in relief lists and that promised concessions for students from drought-affected households are being processed. The district administration did not report any arrests or criminal complaints linked to the death as of the latest updates.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Shankar Abanrao Kshirsagar |
| Residence | Borgaon (Telang) village, Nanded district |
| Crop | Soybean (damaged) |
| Loan | More than ₹2 lakh (Maharashtra Gramin Bank) |
| Family | Wife; son (engineering); two daughters (one in medical college, Pune) |
The incident underscores continuing distress among smallholders in parts of Marathwada hit by erratic rainfall. Local farmer groups and cooperative bodies have in recent weeks urged quicker processing of relief claims and transparent roll-outs of loan-waiver lists. Authorities said a formal inquiry will determine whether procedural lapses contributed to the family’s exclusion from earlier relief announcements.
Investigations into the circumstances of the death and verification of entitlement to relief and fee waivers are ongoing, police and district officials reported.
