A 36-year-old man who took loans from unauthorised digital lending mobile apps attempted suicide in Ramagundam, and died five days later, after allegedly facing harassment by the lenders. This is the fourth suicide in Telangana by persons who defaulted in repayments to app organisers.
While the tragic event occurred on December 18, the issue came to light after the victim’s friend lodged a complaint with police on December 24.
According to NTPC Police, the victim is D M N Santhosh Kumar, an unmarried, private employee and resident of Ramagundam. He was living alone in an accommodation in Malkapur. Police said that he hails from Visakhapatnam and was working in a fertiliser factory, drawing a salary of around ₹50,000 per month.
According to a complaint, he had taken small loans amounting to ₹51,196 from at least five micro-financing apps – Udhaar Loan App, Rufilo App, Reepay, A A A Loan App and Loan Gram app. The loans he took from apps ranged between ₹9,000 and ₹16,000. He had managed to clear a loan, however, the others were pending.
On December 18, the victim recorded a video of himself stating that he was being harassed by these companies as he could not repay the loans. He then consumed poison.
His friend, identified as B N S Subrahmanyam, who is the complainant in the case stated in a complaint to the police that Kumar felt humiliated and depressed on account of the alleged harassment. Mr Subrahmanyam saw the victim’s state and rushed him to a private hospital in Ramagundam. He also informed the victim’s brother of what had happened.
On December 21, the victim was taken to Visakhapatnam and admitted in the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam where he succumbed five days later.
Peddapalli Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudershan Goud said that the a case under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code was booked and an investigation was under way. So far, no arrests have been made.
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