Connect with us
Monday,06-October-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Oppn to PM: ‘Meet kin of farmer who committed suicide after greeting you’ 

Published

on

In a shocker, a penniless and frustrated farmer Dashrath L. Kedari, greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday (September 17) and then jumped into a village pond to end his life, his grieving family said here on Monday.

The Maharashtra Opposition has called upon the PM to visit the family of the farmer who penned a suicide note and raised issues of Minimum Support Price and other issues confronting the agro-sector.

Kedari’s brother-in-law Arvind Waghmare said the incident took place in Bankarphata village where he had been working as a farmer for the past 8 years.

“He seemed very depressed that day, but conveyed his wishes for a long life to the PM, then jumped into a nearby pond and killed himself. A suicide note was recovered later,” Waghmare told IANS.

Opposition Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress slammed the state and Central government for failure “to protect farmers reeling under a severe agrarian crisis with a record number of farmland suicides clocked this year”.

In his final note, debt-ridden Kedari wished ‘Happy Birthday to You, PM’ and then blamed the state government for failing to ensure MSP which compelled him to end his life and escape the debtors.

He rued how the state was not giving MSP to onion, tomato and other crops’ cultivators, suffering from the ravages of the recent floods and the losses of the pandemic.

“What should we do? You are only concerned for yourself Modi Saheb… We are not begging for alms, but what is rightly due to us… MSP must be given to us as the money-lenders are threatening us. Nobody takes risks like the farmers… where do we go with our grievances,” Kedari said.

Congress state President Nana Patole, Sena Spokespersons Kishore Tiwari and Dr. Manisha Kayande and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase slammed the government for failure to tackle the state agrarian crisis which has resulted in a spate of desperate suicides by the tillers.

Shooting a letter to Modi, Tiwari – who is President of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) – urged the PM to immediately come to visit the Kedari family as the state government has failed to solve the problems of farmers.

He recalled how Modi – during his trendsetter ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with farmers in his visit to Yavatmal (March 2014) – had assured to address core issues like MSP, marketing, input costs, easy credit from public sector banks, change in crop patterns, risk management by way of crop insurance, etc.

However, despite the PM’s best efforts, nothing has materialised owing to a hostile administration and corrupt implementation agencies, leading to tragedies like Kedari’s suicide for precisely similar reasons, Tiwari pointed out.

He called upon Modi to visit the Kedari family or direct Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to go and console the deceased farmers’ kin during her visit to Pune next week.

“A farmer greets the PM and then goes on his ‘chita’ (funeral pyre), but the PM is busy bringing the ‘cheetah’ to the country… This is the sad status in the country,” said Dr. Kayande, taking a swipe.

Patole said when farmers are burning on the pyres, the PM is organising ‘cheetah’ mega-events and called for “ending this suicides circle”.

Tapase termed it a ‘shame’ that farmers are greeting PM’s birthday with suicide as “the government has gone deaf, dumb and blind” to their plight.

A grim Tiwari added that this year, over 1,080 farmers have ended lives in Vidarbha alone and the state has created a new record with around 2,600 peasants’ suicides in the first nine months of 2022.

Kedari, 42, hailing from Wadgaon-Anand village, is survived by his wife Shanta and two college-going children – son Shubham, 20, and daughter Shravani, 18.

His funeral was completed last weekend after the Alephata Police made enquiries and registered a case, said Waghmare.

Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Wakes Up To Clear Skies After Overnight Showers; No Rainfall Alert Issued

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to bright sunshine and a pleasant breeze on Monday after experiencing light to moderate showers in parts of the suburbs late Sunday night. The first week of October has brought signs of retreating monsoon activity along the Konkan coast, with the intensity of rainfall gradually decreasing across the region.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), weather conditions across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have largely stabilised after several days of intermittent drizzle and moderate rain. As of October 6, no weather alert has been issued for any district in the Konkan belt, bringing some respite to residents following weeks of unsettled weather.

In Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, the weather remained mostly stable on Monday morning, with a cloudy yet dry atmosphere. The IMD has ruled out chances of heavy rainfall through the day. Maximum temperatures are expected to touch around 31°C, while the minimum will hover near 25°C. Despite the clear skies, humid conditions are expected to make the day feel warmer and slightly uncomfortable for outdoor commuters.

In Palghar district, the weather is expected to fluctuate between bright sunshine and occasional light drizzle in some pockets, while other areas may experience completely dry conditions. Morning skies remained partly cloudy, with temperatures ranging between 29°C and 31°C. The high humidity is expected to cause mild discomfort in the afternoon hours.

Further south along the Konkan coast, in Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts, calm weather prevailed after several days of light rainfall. The day is expected to remain largely dry with gentle to moderate sea conditions. Temperatures in these districts are likely to stay close to 30°C. Residents along the coastal belt may experience humid and slightly warm conditions, especially during midday hours.

The IMD has forecast that light rain may return to some parts of the Konkan and interior Maharashtra from October 7 onward, marking a brief revival of post-monsoon showers. However, for now, Mumbaikars can expect relatively dry and stable weather for the next 24 hours, with clear skies, moderate humidity and calm winds, offering a brief but welcome break from the persistent September rains.

Continue Reading

Crime

Palghar Crime: Naigaon Police Arrest 35-Year-Old Murder Accused From Ship At Okha Port In Gujarat After Month-Long Manhunt

Published

on

Palghar, Maharashtra: In a significant breakthrough, the Naigaon Police have arrested a murder accused who had been absconding for nearly a month. The accused, Sunil Kharpat Prajapati (35), was traced and detained from a ship docked at Okha-Dwarka port in Gujarat after a meticulous manhunt.

The case dates back to September 7, 2025, when a dispute broke out between two workers of Synergy Hygiel Company at Kaman, Vasai (East). The deceased, Dilip Saroj, and the accused, Prajapati, had been given money by their employer, Prakash Ghunkar Chamaria, to share expenses for meals. However, Prajapati allegedly withheld the amount from Saroj, sparking a heated quarrel.

According to police, during the altercation, Prajapati assaulted Saroj with a blunt object, inflicting severe injuries on his head, eyes, and right arm. Saroj succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, leading police to upgrade the charges to murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Given the gravity of the crime, senior officers formed two dedicated teams from the Crime Detection Branch to trace the fugitive. Acting on credible intelligence, investigators learned that the accused had taken shelter aboard a vessel at Okha port in Gujarat. Over 200 ships in the vicinity were thoroughly searched before police located Prajapati hiding on one of them.

He was taken into custody and later confessed to his role in the crime during questioning, officials said. The accused is now in police custody, and further investigation is underway.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Ruckus created in Kurla over I Love Muhammad sticker, Soumya’s ultimatum, Soumya’s visit again after no progress in investigation, attempt to worsen the situation

Published

on

Mumbai: The controversy over I Love Muhammad has intensified in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Mumbai. BJP leader Kirat Soumya has objected to the pasting of I Love Muhammad stickers on vehicles at traffic stops in the Kurla area on the outskirts of Mumbai and demanded the registration of an FIR. After giving a 48-hour ultimatum to the Kurla police station, Kirat Soumya has again visited the Kurla police station today and demanded the registration of a case for the forcible pasting of stickers on vehicles. In this matter, the police have asked Kirat Soumya to consult the law department and seek time for progress in the matter until Tuesday. When Kirat Soumya was asked what he had against I Love Muhammad and why he opposed it, he denied it and said that everyone has the right to take the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but hooliganism will not be tolerated under the guise of this. The way the stickers were forcibly pasted on the roads without permission is the same. It is illegal. Kret Soumya said that the police have provided all the video footage and other documents, but the police have not registered a case yet. The police have given me time till Tuesday. Now the police will take some action after consulting the law department. When Kret Soumya was asked whether anyone had gone to the police station and complained about the forced sticker application, he said that since I am the complainant, the police should take action against this hooliganism. After Kret Soumya’s demand, attempts have been made to spoil the situation in Kurla, due to which the atmosphere is tense.

Continue Reading

Trending