CHENNAI: A city businessman allegedly killed himself on Wednesday, reportedly due to constant threats from usurers. The man, 42-year-old P Durai Murugan, had filed a complaint at the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office two weeks ago. The scrap iron businessman was found hanging at his house at Tondiarpet by his wife Jayanthi at around 8am on Wednesday. The matter came to wider attention on Thursday.
Murugan’s complaint had sought action against usury gangs that were threatening him. However, it is learnt that the petition was forwarded to RK Nagar only on Wednesday by which time the same police station had been informed of his death.
On Thursday, the Vinoba Nagar street, where Murugan lived, was marked with posters and banners mourning his death. Murugan was the younger of the two brothers. His father Paulraj, from Tirunelveli, had moved to Chennai when his sons were children. Murugan is survived by Jayanthi and their two daughters.
“He had borrowed `50 lakh by mortgaging a piece of inherited land. But they (the usury gang) kept threatening to sell off the land. He had paid them over `1 crore by selling jewellery and some property. My husband said he had filed a complaint at the police commissioner’s office, but it does not seem to have helped” said Murugan’s sister-in-law.
“He ran a scrap iron shop just a few metres from the house,” said Kumar, a friend of Murugan’s. “He neither told us that he had debts nor asked for help,” he said.
RK Nagar Police seized a suicide note believed to have been left behind by P Durai Murugan, who allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday, with a thumb impression. Police said the letter has been sent for forensic tests. “We have registered a case of unnatural death. If investigation proves that he killed self because of the trouble caused by the usury gang, we will take action,” said a police officer attached to the station.
“After their father Paulraj’s death, the property was shared between the two brothers. Murugan got a piece of land near Ennore and his brother Emarajan occupied this (three-storey) building. But Murugan was allowed to stay in the same house till his two daughters got married,” said a close relative. It is the Ennore land that Murugan had mortgaged for `50 lakh with an usury gang that had threatened to sell it if he didn’t pay them more money. He had paid up to `1 crore, his relatives said. In October last year, three of a family immolated themselves in Tirunelveli over harassment by usurious money lenders.
He died before cops got plaint
RK Nagar police said his petition reached them Wednesday by which time he had died. If in distress contact Sneha’s 24/7 helpline at 044-24640050