Ahead of Rahul Gandhi's tour, another farmer ends life in Amravati

AMRAVATI: A day ahead of the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's day-long padyatra in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra to highlight the agrarian crisis, suicide of yet another debt-burdened farmer has come to light.

Gajanan Sheshrao Khongal, who owned four acres of land, left home for his farm on Monday noon, but did not return till late in the night, causing anxiety to his family. While the family members launched a search, his body was found floating in a well in his farm on Tuesday, police said today.

Khongal allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well in Morshi tehsil of the Amravati district, they said.

The 35-year-old farmer, who had taken a loan of Rs 60,000 from a co-operative bank, ended his life apparently due to crop failure and mounting debt, police said.

Rahul Gandhi will start his 'padyatra' (foot march) tomorrow morning from Gunji village in Amravati district.

Maharashtra is one of the States that has experienced severe agrarian crisis and Amravati division in Vidarbha has witnessed many farmer suicides this year.