Kottayam: Haritha Finance collected Rs 18 lakh

Kottayam: Custodial torture victim Rajkumar of Idukki had collected only over Rs 18 lakh from poor labourers for his Haritha Finance company, and not crores as alleged.

A Crime Branch official said that the total amount collected by Rajkumar, a native of Kolahalamedu near Vagamon, was only Rs 18, 22,000. He launched the Haritha Finance at Thookupalam near Nedumkandom by promising the women that they will get Rs 1 lakh as loan if they deposited Rs 1,000.

Rajkumar collected Rs 1,000 each from 643 people belonging to 110 self-help groups and over 100 others. He also received over Rs 50,000 from those who were employed in his company.

He spent a substantial amount of the money to purchase an Innova car and pay advance for a jeep and a house.

The Crime Branch is planning to verify the entire digital records of those who are connected with the case.

Crime Branch sources said there was enough evidence to establish that the accused police officers had taken Rajkumar into custody and inflicted hurt on him leading to his death.

“He was handed over to the police by the locals on June 12 and taken to his house on that day itself on his statement that the money collected by him was kept at his house,” said a source.

He was kept in the Nedumkandom police station till June 15 when his arrest was recorded.  He was presented before the magistrate on June 16 and remanded in Peerumade sub-jail on July 17. Rajkumar died at the Peermade taluk hospital on June 21.

The Crime Branch has arrested seven police officials, including Nedumkandom SI K.A. Sabu, and they are now undergoing remand at the Devikulam sub-jail.