Farmer on hunger strike for crop loan dies in Maharashtra

A 39-year-old farmer, who was on hunger strike for crop loan, died Thursday in Maharashtra's Parbhani district, police said.

Tukaram Vaijanath Kale, resident of Mardajgaon in Pathri tehsil, had sat on a hunger strike in front of State Bank of India's Pathri branch alongwith some other farmers since Wednesday.

Their demand was that the bank should grant them crop loan speedily, said inspector Vidyasagar Shrimanvar of Pathri police station.

Kale's condition deteriorated Thursday afternoon and he was shifted to a government hospital at Manvat where he died during treatment, the police official said.

As the news of his death came, there was a commotion at the venue of the hunger strike at Pathri, he said.

His relatives took the body from the hospital and placed it at the agitation site.

A crowd gathered at the spot but the situation was under control, the inspector said.

The exact cause of Kale's death was yet to be ascertained, he said.

An accidental death report has been registered and further investigation is underway, he said.