'Operation Kuber': Cases Against 64 Persons

As many as 32 cases were registered against 64 persons in the Thiruvananthapuram range as part of ‘Operation Kuber’, a state-wide crackdown launched by the police against illegal moneylenders.
'Operation Kuber': Cases Against 64 Persons

As many as 32 cases were registered against 64 persons in the Thiruvananthapuram range on Sunday as part of ‘Operation Kuber’, a state-wide crackdown launched by the police against illegal moneylenders following the suicide of five members of a family at Kizhakkemukkola in the district.

“Around 276 raids were conducted in Thiruvananthapuram range on Sunday and the police seized cash totalling around Rs 8 lakh and records related to money transactions and collection of interest, blank cheques, land documents and deeds,” Range IG Manoj Abraham said.

“The raids conducted in both the city limits as well as the rural range were based on specific information,” Manoj Abraham said.

The raids were conducted in houses as well as institutions by 134 special squads of the police.

32 cases were registered against 64 accused under the sections of Kerala Money Lenders Act and 17 of the accused were arrested on the spot.

 “The public can pass on the information about illegal loan sharks to the investigation officers through SMS or even through WhatsApp,” Manoj Abraham said.

People who had availed of loans from illegal money lenders had tipped off the police leading to the raids and arrests on Sunday. “Cases have been registered against various money lenders who had taken loans at high interest rates.

 Some of them have also been booked for threatening the borrowers after lending money. These cases have been registered under the Money Lending Act,” City Police Commissioner H Venkatesh said.

“This is the first time complaints have been filed en masse against the blade mafia,” he said.

“We had been planning mass raid in the city in May. But after the suicides happened, the borrowers became more vigilant and they started filing complaints against illegal money lenders,”  City Police Commissioner H Venkatesh  said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com