New Delhi: Failing to repay the loan amount taken from a mobile app-based loan firm, a 27-year-old man from a Tamil Nadu village died by suicide after being allegedly shamed by the firm. According to a report, the deceased, R Vivek of Palayanoor village in Maduranthagam, was a load man of a private firm in Mamandur.
The man had taken a Rs 4,000 loan for his father’s treatment from the mobile app-based loan firm and when he failed to pay it back on time, the loan firm’s representatives frequently called him to threaten that he would be shamed. And, on December 21, the firm started sending texts to some of Vivek’s friends who were listed as his emergency contacts.
The text read: “Dear Reference, we tried contacting Vivek R, but there was no response. Kindly tell him to repay Rs 4,305. If not, we will take action against your friend. This person is using your number and doing illegal activities. Kindly delete your number from his phone.”
Soon after his friends enquired him about the texts, Vivek jumped into a well at his village and later after a long search, his body was retrieved by the local police and sent to Chengalpattu government hospital for post-mortem.
Vivek’s elder sister said, “My brother was being harassed by a mobile app-based loan firm. He went out and didn’t return. Then we heard he killed himself by jumping into a well. These loan sharks should understand life is more important than money.”
The next day, around 50 people gathered in front of the Padalam police station, demanding strict action against the firm that drove Vivek to take this extreme step of ending his life. The crowd later dispersed after the officials assured that action would be taken.
Earlier on November 23, a 23-year-old software engineer, too died by suicide at his house near Adambakkam, after the app-based firm from whom he had availed a small loan sent messages to his relatives and friends terming him a fraud.