Bengaluru, 30 Jan

Rajajinagar police are investigating the tragic suicide of a 38-year-old man who allegedly took his own life due to harassment by private financiers in the city.

Arun, a resident of Prakash Nagar, 7th Main Road, was found hanging from an iron hook on the terrace wall of his house. The incident occurred on 23 January, but his family formally lodged a complaint on 29 January, accusing a private financier of relentless harassment.

According to the complaint filed by Arun's father, Devaraj, Arun had secured a Rs 5 lakh loan from a local financier, Dinesh, using his car as collateral.

On 23 January, Arun reportedly sent his wife and children to his brother’s house in Kengeri before taking the extreme step that night. When the family returned the following day, they found him hanging.

The police have registered a case and are interrogating the accused.

Notably, this incident occurred just two days after Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that no cases of harassment by microfinancing firms had been reported in the city.

Meanwhile, a similar tragedy was reported in Mysuru, where a 37-year-old labourer, Subramanya, allegedly died by suicide after consuming poison at Bettadapura Basaveshwara Colony in Periyapatna taluk due to pressure from microfinance agents.

The incident took place on Thursday morning. According to the district police, Subramanya had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from HFCL Finance Agency, mortgaging his house. Additionally, he had taken hand loans from private money lenders. As he defaulted on his monthly payments, microfinance agents allegedly began pressuring him, even posting a seizure notice on his house.

Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy cautioned that criminal cases will be filed against  the agents, staff of micron financing agencies if the police, district administration receives complaints against them for harassing their borrowers over the issue of loan repayment.