Excise department employee in Mumbai dies by suicide over loan repayment harassment | Latest News India
A contractual employee of the Maharashtra excise department died by suicide by jumping in front of a local train in Mumbai allegedly due to harassment by private moneylenders over the delay in loan repayment, news agency PTI reported, citing unnamed officials on Monday.
The 57-year-old victim was found lying unconscious on the railway tracks of the GTB Nagar railway station in the early hours of Sunday, the police officials said, adding that he was a resident of Pratiksha Nagar in Central Mumbai’s Sion.
The police have registered a case against three persons, including a couple and a woman, for abetment of suicide.
Victim had borrowed money
Preliminary investigation suggested that the victim took the extreme step after being unable to stand the pressure to repay ₹3.5 lakh he had borrowed from Manisha Dethe (40), a resident of Sardar Nagar in Sion Koliwada, the report said, citing the FIR in the case.
The loan was borrowed at the monthly interest rate of 9 per cent at ₹31,500 instalment after a food and milk business started by the victim suffered losses during the COVID-induced lockdown, as per an FIR lodged by victim’s 23-year-old son.
The business venture eventually shut down due to losses.
“As the loan repayment was delayed, the lender Manisha Dethe and her husband Sudhir Dethe would visit the man’s house and abuse him in front of the family members,” the report quoted an official as saying.
The initial loan amount increased to ₹7 lakh with a 7 per cent monthly interest rate at ₹49,000 instalment.
The victim was unable to settle debt and started borrowing from others. He managed to pay ₹3 lakh at one go to the Dethes, the official said.
The victim’s elder son borrowed ₹2 lakh and ₹1.5 lakh from another woman. He said Dethe claimed this money.
The victim then borrowed another ₹5 lakh from one Vidya Chatur and gave the money to Dethe, the official said.
“The Dethe couple allegedly continued to pressure the victim saying the loan amount has gone up. ”Manisha Dethe and her husband used to abuse him and threatened to kill him if the loan was not repaid,” the official said.
The final blow
In the morning of December 21, Manisha Dethe visited the man’s residence and refused to leave until the loan was paid back.
“His wife called up on his mobile number and informed him that Manisha Dethe was sitting at the home. Mane didn’t return home till Saturday late night out of fear,” the police official said.
Under pressure for not paying the loan, the man died by by jumping in front of a moving local train, he said.
The victim had not returned to his home till late Saturday night following which his wife called on his mobile phone. The call was answered by a police official who informed the family that Mane was injured in an accident at GTB Nagar railway station.
Victim’s son rushed to the spot. He was rushed to the civic-run KEM Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, an official said. Police found a signed suicide note purportedly written by Mane from his pocket.
Railway Police registered a case against Manisha Dethe, her husband Sudhir Dethe and Vidya Chatur on charges of abetment of suicide, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) at Wadala railway police station.
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