Elderly man on hunger strike outside collector’s office in Dhule dies; kin allege apathy by officials

A 70-year-old man on a hunger strike along with his wife seeking alimony for their young daughter died in Dhule district of Maharashtra, prompting his relatives to allege that he became the victim of the apathy of the administration.

A police official said that the man, identified as Sudhanwa Bhadane, died on March 20 outside the Dhule district collector’s office.

The deceased and his wife Ranjana resorted to a hunger strike seeking alimony for their daughter, who was abandoned by her husband, on March 14. Ranjana Bhadane was admitted to a hospital where her condition is said to be stable, the official added.

Relatives of the Bhadanes alleged that no official from the local administration intervened and tried to resolve the issue after the couple sat on fast. The kin of the deceased said they will not accept his body until action is taken against officials concerned and justice given to the Bhadane family, the police official said.