Farmer commits suicide over delay in grant of Kunbi certificate needed for son's education

Beed, Sep 25 (PTI) A 55-year-old farmer allegedly ended his life in Maharashtra's Beed district over delay in the grant of a Kunbi-Maratha caste validity certificate that his son needed for pursuing education. Sahadev Rasal, a resident of Manjarsumba in Beed tehsil, had also lost his standing crop due to the heavy rains which pounded Marathwada region earlier this week, police said.

He allegedly jumped into the well on his farmland around 8 am on Wednesday. The body was retrieved after six hours.

Rasal’s son needed the caste validity certificate for admission to BSc agriculture course, said assistant inspector Chandrakant Gosavi of Neknoor police station.

Despite paying the required fees by using his own funds and borrowing money from relatives, the certificate had not been issued, the official said.

Maratha-Kunbis can take benefit of reservation under the OBC category. It has been the demand of Maratha activist Manoj Jarange that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis, who are a farming community. PTI COR KRK