Farmer dies in police firing in Maharashtra

Farmers are protesting against refusal of cooperative sugar factories in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts of western Maharashtra to give Rs 3,000 per ton as first advance on sugarcane purchase this season. Factories have agreed to pay Rs 2,300 per ton.

Today, farmers staged road blockades at various places in western Maharashtra, as per the appeal made by Raju Shetty, MP and leader of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.

According to police, a group of farmers tried to lock a police team inside a hotel at Nandre village in Sangli district after learning that Shetty had been detained in Pune district.

Police lathicharged and opened fire, in which Chandrakant Nalavde (36) of Vasgade village in the district was injured.

Civil Hospital authorities here said Nalavde succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital.