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NASHIK: Four farmers allegedly committed suicide in different parts of Nashik district on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 53 in the last six months.

Supdu Pawar, 77, a resident of Vadre Khakurdi village in Malegaon , committed suicide by immolating himself. Pawar allegedly set up his funeral pyre and set himself ablaze when his family was asleep. According to Pawar’s family, he was under Rs 3.40 lakh debt since 2012, which included Rs 2 lakh from financial institutions.

His wife had taken a loan of Rs 80,000 from a cooperative society. Villagers said Pawar was unable to clear his loans despite having sold his land.

In Chanwad taluka, Appasaheb Jadhav, 32, electrocuted himself by touching a live wire on Wednesday afternoon.

Jadhav climbed onto a distribution box of the state electricity distribution company and grabbed the highvoltage live wire. He was electrocuted and died on the spot. Sources said he was was unable to repay a loan of Rs 25,000, which he had secured from a cooperative society.

Another debt-ridden farmer, Kachru Punja Aher, 65, of Shivre village in Chandwad taluka, ended his life by consuming poison. Aher had been unable to repay Rs 3 lakh loan. The reason of suicide for the fourth farmer, Harishchandra Ahire, 35, of Brahmangaon in Baglan taluka, is yet to be ascertained.

Distirct authorities said Nashik has never reported so many farmer suicides within such a short span of time. “As of now we have a report of four farmer deaths. We have called for detailed reports of the cases from police, cooperative societies and bank officials,” said resident deputy collector Ramdas Khedkar.

Based on the reports, a committee headed by the district collector will decide whether the kin of the farmers would be entitled for monetary compensation.

