Loan shark harassment pushes 2 persons to suicide in Rajkot

RAJKOT: A businessman of Rajkot district committed suicide after he was allegedly harassed by loan sharks. Rajkot taluka police booked four persons based on the suicide note of the deceased. In another case, a resident of Junagadh committed suicide over harassment by money lenders. In the case of Rajkot resident, Rava Zapda (40), who was into a business of coal selling, hanged himself in his shop on Wednesday evening. Police booked Hanubha Rathod, Jay Patel, Mana and Bharat under IPC sections 306, 387 and 506 (2) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The police complaint says Zapda had borrowed Rs 50,000 from Hanubha but he was forced to transfer his home valued at Rs 37 lakh in his (Hanubha’s) name after he failed to repay the amount with interest. He had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from Jay Patel but was forced to pay Rs 13.50 lakh with interest. Besides, Patel also did not return his 130 gram gold. Zapda had borrowed Rs 55,000 from Mana but was made to pay Rs 14.5 lakh. He had borrowed Rs 30,000 from Bharat but was made to pay Rs 11.50 lakh. Kishan Khanadale (35), a resident of Keshod in Junagadh district, committed suicide by consuming poison after being allegedly harassed by money lenders. He had borrowed Rs 2 lakh from Jaga Malde and Keshu Odedara and was paying Rs 1,000 as interest per day. Deceased paid Rs 3.3 lakh but still they were demanding Rs 1 lakh more.