Cops note loan sharks' hunt in Covid

Rajkot: The city police on Friday received as many as 96 applications of harassment by loan sharks, majority of the victims being those who had borrowed money due to severe financial crunch caused by Covid-induced lockdown and the pandemic.
Police had organized an awareness programme to educate people against borrowing money from unauthorized lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates.
Emotional scenes were also witnessed as women broke down narrating their ordeal of daily harassment by money lenders.
Talking to TOI, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Manoharsinh Jadeja, said, “We came across many cases where people had borrowed money because of the financial crunch during Covid period. We have received 96 applications out of which we have registered one offence and more will be registered with the concerned police stations after preliminary investigation and collecting evidence.”
One offence was registered with Pradyumannagar police station by Jayant Panchasra against Dilipsinh Gohil and his son Narendrasinh. According to the complaint, Panchsara had borrowed Rs 70,000 in various amounts over the last three years and repaid Rs 35,000. However, the accused had allegedly beaten him near Astron Chowk a few days ago and demanded Rs 70,000. They had even threatened to take away his two-wheeler and by doing so, they forced Panchasara to pay Rs 12,000 on the spot.
Talking to reporters, Kanchan Solanki, an old woman, claimed that her son had borrowed Rs five lakh and the family had been paying interest for the last nine years. They paid Rs 13 lakh but the lenders are demanding Rs 10 lakh more. Solanki said her son earns Rs 50,000 per month but gives Rs 100 per day to run a family of nine members, while the remaining salary goes into payment of interest.
The police refused to divulge the contents of the applications received, expressing fear that the accused may get alert. The applicants were also fearing harassment from money lenders if they came to know that they had approached police.
“It’s an offence to lend money without licence, but in the process of pocketing high interest, more offences are being committed. It was our attempt to educate people to borrow money from financial institutions or licenced moneylenders,” said Jadeja.
According to sources, the Rajkot police have registered over 100 offences against unregistered moneylenders in the last three years.