A 37-year-old man allegedly killed himself by hanging from a tree in Sangli district of
Maharashtra seeking reservation for the Dhangar community, police said on Tuesday. The
body of Birudev Kharje, a resident of Aabachiwadi in Kavthe Mahankal tehsil, was found
hanging from a tree at his farm on Sunday afternoon. Currently, the Dhangar or shepherd community is classified under the Vimukta Jati &
Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) category. However, the community is staging protests for the quota
under the ST category.
BJP MLC Gopichand Dhangar said it is an unfortunate incident wherein Kharje from the
Dhangar community has ended his life for the cause of the reservation.
