RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/VIJAYAWADA : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to take strict action against mobile loan applications operating without following the norms of the Reserve Bank of India. The chief minister’s instructions came just hours after a couple in Rajamahendravaram committed suicide allegedly over pressure from agents of loan apps to clear the debt.
The couple has been identified as Kolli Durga Rao (35) and Ramya Lakshmi (30). They are survived by two children: Tejaswi Nagasai (4) and Likhita Sri (2). Rajamahendravarm DSP Srilatha said, Durga Rao had moved to Rajamahendravaram, ten years ago, from Labbarthi village in Alluri Sitarama Raju district (erstwhile Visakhapatnam district). He married Ramya nearly six years ago and lived in Anand Nagar.
Durga Rao was a tailor by profession, but he would also take up painting works to make extra money. He had borrowed Rs 30,000 from two loan apps and cleared the debt partially, police said and added, “Over the past few days, the operators had been threatening Durga Rao, saying that they would send Ramya’s morphed videos to his relatives.”
On Wednesday, the couple dropped their children at a relative’s home while returning from a function at Mogalturu in East Godavari district. They took a room in a lodge where they ended their lives.
Before taking the extreme step, Ramya had called her brother in-law, Rajesh.
Be wary of apps offering easy loans, say police
She informed him about their decision and requested him to take care of their children.
Rajesh rushed to the lodge and found the couple unconscious on the cot. They were shifted to a local government hospital, where they died while undergoing treatment. The II-Town Police have launched an investigation, DSP Srilatha said.
On the directions of the chief minister, State Women’s Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma, district Collector Dr K Madhavilatha and MP Margani Bharat went to Durgarao’s house and handed over a cheque of `10 lakh to the children’s guardians. Meanwhile, Additional SP Rajani appealed to the people to be wary of the mobile applications offering easy loans. Noting that individuals and businessmen were falling prey to lucrative offers doled out by the operators, she warned people to be cautious before downloading such apps and borrowing money through them.
‘HARASSED’ BY LOAN AGENTS, COUPLE ENDS LIFE
A couple from Rajamahendravaram committed suicide allegedly over pressure from agents of loan apps to clear the debt. Kolli Durga Rao and Ramya Lakshmi are survived by two children. Durga Rao was a tailor, but he would also take up painting works for extra money. He had borrowed `30,000 and cleared the debt partially