MFIs distribute loans on fake Aadhaar, election cards

NAGPUR: Even after assurances by the Maharashtra government in assembly to crack a whip against private microfinance institutions (

MFI

), their alleged harassment of women, particularly from lower strata of society, continues unabatedly. The loans are still being distributed on fake Aadhaar and

election cards

by the MFIs at interest rate as high as 22%-34%, thus raising serious doubts on their genuineness.

The latest complaint came from Hingna-based Laleshwari Ganesh Mhatre, who claimed that the office-bearers from two MFIs had forcibly taken a television set, LPG stove, cylinder and regulator from her home following her failure to pay the monthly instalments. She had lodged the complaint with

MIDC

Police Station but no action was taken against the accused persons.

Earlier, a couple of complaints were lodged in the Shanti Nagar and Jaripatka police stations by Premlata Sarte and Babynanda Gawli. Instead of acting against the MFIs, the police arrested the two women from their shelf-help group (SHG) for allegedly procuring loans from various MFIs on duplicate Aadhaar and election cards.

Assistant inspector with Jaripatka Station, Mukhtar Sheikh told TOI that they had nabbed the culprit, responsible for making their duplicate Aadhaar and election cards. “He is in the net and would reveal everything in a couple of days. But, I would not like to reveal his identity at this juncture. We will spare none,” he said

He shifted the blame on the complainant women for securing loans on forged documents. “After these women lodged complaints, we collected all documents of MFIs and found that these women use fraudulent ways to get loans from various companies. Each of these women and even their counterparts had taken loans from at least five to six companies. We checked all documents, including KYCs from these firms, and found them to be in order. We can’t act without proof against them,” he told TOI.

The API accused the political leaders of unnecessarily dragging the issue without going into the details. “They’re raising the issue as civic elections are fast approaching. These MFIs are working since 2012 and in similar way, but never was the point raised. They’re just seeking publicity in the garb of issue. Majority of women stopped paying monthly instalments after being instigated by the leaders. Now, none of them want to pay back the loans and are citing one or other lame excuse,” he clarified.

MIDC inspector Sunil Mahadik said the issue was not easy as it seems, but they had launched the probe against Jan Laxmi

Micro Finance

, against whom the complaint was being lodged. “Our DCP Deepali Masirkar would explain everything,” he said.

NCP leader Vedprakash Arya, who led the delegation of these women, accused the cops for not acting against the MFIs under political pressure. “The Jaripatka Police detained the two women, but failed to take action against those who actually helped them in making duplicate Aadhaar and voting cards. It is over a month now that Gawli had lodged the complaint but no one from the any of MFIs are arrested so far. These MFIs are mostly belonging to the politicians and no one dared to act against them. All of them are hand in glove,” he alleged.

Arya accompanied the victim women to police commissioner K Venkatesh where they handed him a representation for taking action against the MFIs and releasing two women, who were arrested by the Jaripatka Police.

The issue of MFI’s menace was raised on last day of winter assembly session by Nagpur north MLA Dr Milind Mane through a calling attention motion. He was supported by other legislators, cutting across party lines, after which the government had declared setting up of a special investigating team (SIT) to probe into complaints against MFIs across the state.