Harassment from agents of instant loan app firms drives Hyderabad fireman to suicide
HYDERABAD: Alleged torture from instant loan app operators claimed another life in the city.
Y Sudhakar, a fireman working with the Telangana Fire Department and deputed to the Chandulal Bharadari fire station in the city, died by suicide. His body was found on the railway track near Shivarampally railway station in the city outskirts on Tuesday. The Railway police have registered a case and begun an investigation.
According to police, Sudhakar (33), belonging to Balapur, had been working in the fire department for over a decade. Recently, he availed loans on some instant loan apps. But he was unable to pay the instalments. As a result, agents of these app firms began harassing him.
Sudhakar's family members told police that these agents started sending messages to his friends and relatives informing them that he is a loan defaulter. They also started calling them and abusing them.
On Tuesday morning, railway personnel noticed a body on the railway tracks and alerted the railway police, who later identified it to be of Sudhakar with the help of his mobile phone.
After verfying with his family and his mobile phone, police confirmed that he had been driven to take the extreme step due to the harassment he was facing at the hands of the agents.
Prima facie, a case under section 174 of the CrPC ( Police to enquire and report on suicide) has now been registered at the Kacheguda Railway police station on a complaint from railway officials. Based on the evidence, the investigation will proceed, railway police said.
(Suicide helplines -- Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090, Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060, Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726, Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102)