A 22-year-old man belonging to the Dhangar community allegedly committed suicide in Paithan tehsil of the district last night, with his family claiming that he ended his life for the cause of reservation. The deceased was identified as Parmeshwar Baban Ghongde, resident of Balanagar. While the Marathas in Maharashtra are agitating for reservation in jobs and education, the demand of Scheduled Tribe status for the Dhangar (shepherd) community in the state is also being made. An officer of MIDC Paithan police station said that Parmeshwar had asked his parents for money for attending a Dhangar reservation rally in Pune. But the parents could not give him any money. He allegedly hanged himself at his house last night. His purported suicide note said that "Dhangar community should get reservation". His parents and relatives demanded that police should record that he committed suicide for the reservation cause, the officer said, adding that further probe was on. Since Maratha organisations started the agitation last month, at least seven suicides by members of the Maratha community, allegedly for the cause of reservation, have been reported in the state.
