Harassed by loan sharks over ₹2,000, Andhra fisherman ends life
A 22-year-old fisherman from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, tragically took his life after being harassed by online loan app agents. The victim, identified as S Narendra, had borrowed ₹2,000 from a loan app to manage household expenses as adverse weather conditions halted fishing activities, TOI reported. Despite repaying the loan on December 7, he and his wife were harassed by the loan app agents who circulated morphed obscene photographs of the couple to Narendra's contacts.
Police investigation and public outcry follow tragic incident
Soon after, the contacts began phoning Narendra to inquire about the image. He committed suicide on Tuesday, a little over six months after marrying his wife, Akhila. Narendra's friends and family have filed complaints with the city police, demanding strict action against the loan app in question. K Lakshmana Murthy, assistant commissioner of police (east division), confirmed that a cyber forensic analysis of Narendra's phone would be carried out as part of the probe.
Rising concerns over online loan app harassment in Andhra Pradesh
This isn't an isolated case, but the third such incident in Andhra Pradesh in a week. In another case from Nandyal district, a young woman was subjected to similar harassment but was rescued by police before she could take the extreme step. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anitha had voiced her concerns in the state assembly last month, saying, "The loan apps are luring the common public with their trapping mechanism," and their harsh methods have led to suicides.
