CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan on Sunday demanded the arrest of a private finance company’s officials and a Thoothukudi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) for the death of a lorry driver Sankaran who consumed poison in protest against the attachment of his house for non-payment of a loan.
In a statement, Mutharasan said that Sankaran (45), a lorry driver from Vallanadu Perumal Kovil Street, Thoothukudi district, was forced to take the extreme step over a paltry loan of Rs 5 lakh, taken from a private financial firm in 2020, by mortgaging his house. The Left leader said that even though Sankaran was repaying the monthly instalment of Rs 11,000 properly, due to some issues, he was not able to meet a few EMIs.
“In this situation, the finance company has approached the court and obtained an order to confiscate the mortgaged house. Based on this, financial company officials, lawyers and police led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi, have gone with a force to confiscate the house, leading to the tragic incident,” the CPI leader said. The officials didn’t listen to the pleadings of Sankaran, his wife Bhadrakali and his two daughters for more time to repay the loan, Mutharasan said. Both Bhadrakali and Sankaran consumed poison on the spot, but police didn’t react in an irresponsible manner, the CPI leader said. “Sankaran died on the way to the hospital while his wife was fighting for life,” he said.
Expressing concern over frequent deaths over loan repayment issues, the CPI leader urged the State government to bring an Act to regulate the functioning of private finance companies. He demanded that the finance company officials and the DSP be booked under murder charges for causing the death.
