They had abused him for not paying the interest, Sathiyamurthy stated in the suicide note
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Chennai: A city court sentenced two money lenders, including a septuagenarian, to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment on a charge of driving a welder in Integral Coach Factory to commit suicide following repeated harassment of a debtor.
Additional public prosecutor, Devandran said, S. Sathiyamurthy was working as a welder in ICF. In 2005, he borrowed money from A. Manoharan, 73 of Villivakkam and Manivannan 42 of Kolathur. He was paying the interest regularly for seven years. However, the interest kept on increasing alarmingly and despite repaying a triple the amount, Manoharan harassed him to repay Rs 65,000 while Mathu demanded Rs 5,000 from him.
In June 2012, Sathiyamurthy assured them that he would return the amount shortly. However, the loan sharks abused him to settle the amount immediately. Showing the promissory note signed by Sathiyamurthy, Mathu threatened him and abused him for not returning the amount.
Unable to bear the torture, he committed suicide by hanging himself in the house on July 13, 2012. In his suicide note, he stated they had tortured him to a pay huge amount in return of the loan. He had been paying the interest to them regularly for seven years without fail. He failed to pay the interest amount to them for only one month.
They had abused him for not paying the interest, Sathiyamurthy stated in the suicide note. The cause of his action was also mentioned in his diary. On a complaint from his wife S. Revathy, Kolathur police registered case against them under section 306 of IPC (abetment of suicide) read with section 9 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2003.
On completion of trial, Judge, III Additional Sessions court, (in charge) A.Kayalvizhi said the prosecution had proved the case beyond doubt and the court sentenced them to undergo 10 years of RI and imposed them a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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