COIMBATORE: Rathinapuri Police have arrested K. Hameed of Sivananda Colony on charges of abetting the suicide of Saibaba Colony resident and car painter K. Nazeer. The Police said that they had invoked Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Police are on the lookout for three more persons who had also lent money to Nazeer.
The painter had consumed poison on July 21 night, was rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on July 22 and succumbed there that night. Nazeer’s relatives said that he was forced to end his life only because Hameed threatened him a few days ago, asking for the Rs. 3,000 that was due to him.
Hameed had lent Rs. 10,000 or so about six months ago and of that Rs. 3,000 was the outstanding amount.
Soon after the news of Nazeer’s death spread, his relatives staged a protest the Hospital demanding that the Police initiate action against the usurious money lenders who had tormented him. They also refused to receive the body. They later relented after the Police initiated action and promised to act the three as well.
The Police said that their investigation had revealed that Suseela, her son Prasad and another relative Sreenivasan had together lent Rs. 3 lakh to Nazeer and had been harassing him demanding money. The Police were yet to arrest the three.