THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: VSDP activists on Monday, protested in front of the SBI SME branch with the bodies of Satheesh and Bindu, the couple from Karamana who died by suicide after facing threats of property seizure by the bank. The protesters demanded that the loan liability of the deceased couple be waived.
The protest started in the morning and continued till afternoon. After the postmortem, around 2.30 pm, an ambulance carrying the bodies reached the SBI branch near the general hospital. The activists brought the bodies out in front of the bank and continued the protest for about an hour.
Following this, bank officials assured the protesters that the loan would be waived. They gave a written statement promising to clear the loan liability of the deceased within 20 days. After receiving this confirmation, the protest was called off and the bodies were taken for the funeral.
There was also a protest in front of the couple’s house on Monday. Locals and the Contractors Federation said the bank’s harassment caused the deaths. They demanded the presence of the collector or RDO before moving the bodies. After talks with the tahsildar, the bodies were moved for postmortem after eight hours.
Officials came three times to seize the house where the couple lived. But activists and locals stopped them each time. Locals said the bank officials had warned the couple the last time that the house would be seized on Monday.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)