BENGALURU: In yet another case of lending apps harassing loan takers, a 22-year-old engineering student died by suicide here on Tuesday evening. The deceased, G Tejas, had helped his friend get a loan from lending apps. But his friend had allegedly stopped paying the EMIs for the last one year after which the victim was constantly being harassed by loan providers. Unable to bear the torture, he reportedly hanged himself at his residence in HMT Quarters.
Tejas, studying mechanical engineering at a private engineering college in Yelahanka, had reportedly borrowed money from over three money lending apps for his friend, identified as Mahesh. The victim has left behind a suicide note, saying harassment by representatives of loan apps as the reason for his death. He has stated that he did not have any option but to end his life as he was unable to clear the loan. He has also said sorry to his parents, and concluded the letter with thanks and a goodbye.
“After his friend failed to clear the loan, the victim is said to have borrowed money from his cousins to repay. He again took some loans from the apps to return the money to his cousins. He is said to have borrowed Rs 30,000 and had to pay Rs 15,000 as interest,” said a police officer, who is part of the investigation team. The Jalahalli police registered a case based on the statement of the victim’s father Gopinath.