The protests demanding reservation for Maratha community has intensified over the week.
A 35-year-old man ended his life, while eight protesters attempted self-immolation on Tuesday as the Maratha quota stir intensified.
Abhijeet Deshmukh, a resident of Veeda village in Beed district in Marathwada region hanged himself from a tree near his house, police officials said.
Among the other reasons Deshmukh mentioned in his suicide note were unemployment and unpaid bank loan.
"We found a suicide note in which Deshmukh mentioned that he is taking this extreme step in support of Maratha reservation demand", Beed SP G Sridhar told media.
This was the fifth suicide in the state over the Maratha reservation issue.
A 38-year-old man had allegedly on June 29 in Nanded district over the Maratha quota demand.
Kacharu Kalyane hanged himself from the ceiling at his home in Dhabad village of Nanded district when his family workers were out for some work. Hs suicide note mentioned that he was ending his life over the Maratah community's demand for reservation.
A 35-year-old man had allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train in Aurangabad on July 29 over the Maratha quota demand.
Last week, two men in Aurangabad district committed suicide over demand for the quota, while another protester, injured in the Maratha stir violence in Navi Mumbai, died at a Mumbai hospital on July 26.
Meanwhile, eight protesters attempted self-immolation by pouring kerosene in support of Maratha reservation in Latur district.
In the self-immolation attempt, held outside the tehsildar office at Ausa in Latur district, eight protesters poured kerosene on themselves and attempted suicide but police intervened before they could do so, Latur Superintendent of Police Shivaji Rathod said.
The protesters were taken into custody. "After convincing them to take up their demands with the government, we allowed them to go", added SP Rathod.
Maratha community members will hold a jail bharo protest in Mumbai on Wednesday, Sakal Maratha Morcha leader Praveen Patil said.
"The state government, despite its assurance of withdrawing criminal charges of vandalism and damaging public property against some protesters, has not taken any action and that is why we are holding the protest Mumbai tomorrow, Patil said.
He also sought an apology from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil and BJP MLA Ram Kadam for defaming Maratha quota agitation and its leaders.
The politically influential Maratha community, constituting around 30 per cent of the demand for reservation in jobs and education.
The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominently for reservation. However, their latest round of agitation has taken a violent turn.
Protesters resorted to violence and arson at separate places in Maharashtra on Monday.
Four police officials were injured in stone pelting, while nearly 70 vehicles, including state and civic-run buses and those of police, were damaged and torched during the violence in Chakan near Pune.
Amid the continuing agitation, the Opposition Congress and the NCP have approached state Governor Vidyasagar Rao, requesting him to direct the Devendra Fadnavis government to announce a decision on the reservation issue immediately.
Maratha outfits said a mega rally will be held in Mumbai on August 9 in support of their quota demand.
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