Farmer falls prey to alleged extortion: Forced to repay 74l loan, loses kidney in Cambodia
Chandrapur (The Uttam Hindu): A case has come to light from Chandrapur district of Maharashtra that has shamed humanity and shocked the system. Here, a farmer trapped in the web of illegal money lending had to sell his kidney to repay his debt. The hair-raising fact is that the farmer had taken a loan of just 1 lakh rupees, which the moneylenders increased to 74 lakh rupees by adding interest and penalty. Not only this, to recover the loan, the moneylenders even made the farmer's house, land and tractor sell. The police have taken this matter very seriously and have started taking action.
The incident took place in Minthur village, Nagbhid tehsil. The victim, farmer Roshan Sadashiv Kude, told police that he had borrowed ₹100,000 from four local moneylenders at a hefty interest rate of 40% to start a dairy business in 2021. He used the money to purchase 15 to 20 cows, but unfortunately, they died from the Lumpy virus, incurring significant losses. The moneylenders then began demanding repayment. To repay one moneylender, Roshan borrowed money from another, and soon found himself trapped by six moneylenders. He was charged a penalty of ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per day.
The farmer claims that to pay off the exorbitant debts of moneylenders, he sold four acres of land, his ancestral home, his tractor, and even his two-wheeler. He has lost over 50 lakh rupees in cash and a total of 74 lakh rupees in property and cash, but the debt to the moneylenders remains unabated. When the farmer had nothing left to pay, a moneylender made the horrifying suggestion of selling his kidney. Forced to do so, the farmer agreed. Subsequently, through an agent, he was sent first to Kolkata for a medical examination and then to Cambodia for surgery. There, his kidney was sold for 8 lakh rupees. The brutality reached such a level that upon his return from abroad, the moneylenders snatched even that 8 lakh rupees from him.
This sensational revelation has sent shockwaves through the Chandrapur police administration. A case has been registered at the Brahmapuri police station against six accused under various sections of extortion and the Maharashtra Money Lending (Regulation) Act. Acting swiftly, police arrested four of the accused. Police officials say this is a horrific form of illegal money lending and are investigating the matter thoroughly to identify other individuals and agents involved in the racket.