COIMBATORE: A couple committed suicide by consuming pesticide unable to pay ‘kandhuvatti’ (usury) in Salem on Tuesday.
Police said Rajendran, (65), who runs a cycle repair shop from Periapudur in Alagapuram and his wife Shanthi (55), took the extreme step as they were pressurised by Nadesan (75) and Ulaganathan (47), to settle the borrowed amount with exorbitant interest.
They were asked to pay Rs 40 lakh in total along with interest for Rs 19 lakh borrowed by them.
Investigations revealed that Rajendran had borrowed Rs 15 lakh from a nationalised bank to build a house in 2015.
He however couldn’t pay the interest, which accumulated to Rs 18 lakh and was served with an auction notice from the bank. Therefore, Rajendran borrowed Rs 19 lakh from Ulaganathan through Nadesan and settled the bank dues.
As the couple couldn’t repay the borrowed amount from Ulaganathan, they consumed poison on Monday night.
In a suicide note, Rajendran blamed Ulaganathan and Nadesan along with few others of harassment. Police arrested them both and further inquiries are on.
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