VILLUPURAM: In a suspected case of usury, a farmer attempted suicide by consuming pesticide near Tindivanam in the district. The 55-year-old was under immense pressure after the moneylender and his supporters tortured him to sell off his land to clear debts.
Sources said Jeyaveni (45), a noon-meal worker in a government higher secondary school at Vellimedupettai and wife of Singaram (55) of Vadasiruvalur, had taken a loan of `17 lakh from her colleague Chandrababu, who is working as noon-meal worker in Chembakkam, by mortgaging Singaram’s land document. Jeyaveni paid interest for the amount that he had borrowed every month.
A few months ago, Singaram paid `7 lakh to Chandrababu. At that time, Chandrababu suddenly increased the interest rate, which Singaram refused to pay. Still, Chandrababu demanded that the amount be settled immediately. He also began to threaten the couple saying that he will sell the land worth `30 lakh for the pending loan amount of `10 lakh.
On Tuesday, Chandrababu came to Singaram’s house with some brokers to discuss the sale of land. Upset over the incident, Singaram attempted suicide the same night. He was taken to Tindivanam Government Hospital and then shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Mundiampakkam for further treatment.
In his statement, Singaram said that in the backdrop of the usury-related suicides in Tirunelveli, he had petitioned the Villupuram Superintendent of Police on the torture he faced from Chandrababu, but to no avail. He also claimed that he had no other option than suicide as Chandrababu’s torture was on the rise with each passing day.
Based on a complaint from Jeyaveni, Vellimedupettai Police registered a case and arrested Chandrababu late on Wednesday.