TIRUNELVELI
Besides triggering shock waves across the State, the ghastly immolation on the Collectorate premises that ultimately reduced to ashes a family of four on last Monday has become an eye opener for many usury victims, it seems, as the affected have started submitting petitions at the weekly grievance redressal meeting and also at police stations.
A Dalit labourer from Surandai, Arumugam (56), who, along with his daughter Murugeswari, an engineering graduate, submitted a petition to Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday, said he had borrowed ₹2 lakh from one Kumar Pandian in 2014 and another ₹2 lakh in April this year after pledging the document of his house to meet educational and marriage expenses of his daughters.
“The moneylender deducted ₹20,000 for every ₹1 lakh while giving the cash. Hence, I got only ₹3.20 lakh. I paid ₹5,000 as interest from 2014 and it rose to ₹10,000 from April this year as I took the additional sum of ₹2 lakh from him. Though I’ve repaid ₹2.65 lakh, the moneylender compels me to settle the loan in full immediately and threatens that he would sell my house with the documents I’ve pledged if I failed to do so,” said Mr. Arumugam.
Even as the Collector receives petitions from usury victims on Mondays, the police get petitions every day seeking action against moneylenders.
While Tirunelveli Town police have registered a case against usurers based on the petition submitted by one Esakkiammal, who has reportedly repaid ₹40,000 for the loan of ₹20,000, Munneerpallam police have registered a case against usurer Selvaraj for reportedly harassing a women, Esakkiammal from Keezha Munneerpallam.
Valliyoor police have registered a case against usurer Thangapandian and Arumugam of Valliyoor based on the complaint from victim Irudhayanathan.
