Fruit seller tortured for Rs 20k debt commits suicide, two booked

Ludhiana, December 25

Facing mental torture for failing to pay Rs 20,000 debt, a 38-year-old fruit seller allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at his residence in Chandni Chowk, Salem Tabri, today.

The deceased has been identified as Ravinder Singh. The Salem Tabri police registered a case against fruit wholesellers Bikram Singh and Kushal Singh.

Brother-in-law of the deceased, Manjit Singh, said Ravinder had a business of fruits in Fruit and Grain Market, Bahadurke Road. In 2019, Ravinder borrowed Rs20,000 from Bikram, he added. Bikram and Kushal had been mentally torturing Ravinder and issuing him life threats as he was not returning the borrowed money, he added.

Manjit alleged that recently, the victim was thrashed by the suspects due to which he went into depression. On December 24, his sister Manjinder Kaur informed him that her husband had consumed some poisonous substance. “I reached my sister’s house and rushed Ravinder to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Later, we recovered a suicide note from his pocket in which he held Birkam and Kushal responsible for his death,” said Manjit.

The Salem Tabri SHO, Gopal Krishan, said raids were on to nab the suspects. — TNS