Nellore collector restores house to woman in debt dispute

Vijayawada: A woman who struggled for months to regain possession of her house finally received justice after the intervention of Nellore district collector Himanshu Shukla, whose swift action restored her home.Peram Vijayakumari, a resident of Shantinagar in Buchireddipalem, said her parents borrowed ₹70,000 from local moneylender Nakka Lellayya for her brother's marriage. After their death, the lender allegedly coerced her into signing documents inflating the debt to ₹3 lakh. For nearly three years, she paid ₹9,000 per month as interest, amounting to about ₹3 lakh, yet the lender demanded another ₹50,000, refused to return her house papers, and forcibly occupied the property.Forced to vacate four months ago, Vijayakumari and her children struggled for shelter before approaching the district collector. Moved by her plight, Shukla ordered an inquiry. Officials found merit in her complaint and submitted a report. Acting on it, Shukla directed the encroacher to vacate and handed the house back to its rightful owner.Expressing relief, Vijayakumari said: "Justice has finally been done. I can now live in my own home again with my children. I will remain thankful to the collector all my life."Shukla also issued a stern warning against illegal moneylending, stressing that harassment, coercion, and property seizures in the name of loans would not be tolerated. He reiterated that strict action would be taken against those exploiting poor borrowers.