Suicide tragedy strikes family following microfinance harassment

Mandya: A tragic incident has occurred in Konnapura village of Malavalli taluk in Mandya dis-trict, where a mother, Prema, committed suicide due to harassment from a microfinance company, and shortly thereafter, her son, Ranjith, also took his own life.

Four days ago, Prema attempted suicide by consuming pesticide due to the constant pressure from the finance company, and she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital yesterday. Grieving the loss of his mother, Ranjith also chose to end his life.

On Saturday Ranjith’s body was found in the Halaguru lake in a decomposed state. It is suspected that he committed suicide on the same day his mother passed away, just a few days prior.

The shock of his mother’s death weighed heavily on him, coupled with his own health issues and disabilities, leading him to contemplate how he would con-tinue living without her. The family had faced severe pressure from the microfinance company, which had seized their home. Prema had taken a loan of six lakh rupees from Ujjivan Bank in 2018. Despite repaying this amount over time, the bank continued to demand another six lakh rupees, resulting in harassment that led her to consume the pesticide.

The family expressed their deep sorrow, with Manikya, Prema’s daughter, lamenting, “Our mother’s death is the result of Ujjivan Bank’s actions. We had already repaid six lakh rupees, yet they keep demanding more and have seized our home. Now, we have lost our mother. Who will guide us now?” This heartbreaking situation highlights the severe emotional and financial distress faced by families under pressure from financial institutions.