Fake photo of wife circulated for loan of over Rs 2,000, Andhra man ends life

Hyderabad:

Humiliated after loan app agents sent distorted photographs of his wife to his friends and family members, a young man in Andhra Pradesh ended his life, rekindling concerns that loan lenders are resorting to such criminal and Taking inhuman steps.

25-year-old Narendra had an inter-caste love marriage with Akhila on October 28. The couple lived in Visakhapatnam where he was a fisherman. However, due to weather conditions, he could not go fishing for a few days, putting him under financial stress.

To meet his expenses, Narendra had taken a loan of Rs 2,000 from an app. Within a few weeks, the loan app agents started harassing them and sending abusive messages to repay the loan.

Agents also sent distorted photos of his wife to friends and family members on his contact list – along with a price quote on the photo. When the pictures arrived on Akhila's phone, she told her husband and he was informed about the loan.

After this the couple decided to repay the entire amount, but it did not help. The harassment continued.

Soon, people who knew him started calling Narendra to ask about the image, leaving him heartbroken. Heartbroken and humiliated, she ended her life on Tuesday, just six weeks after tying the knot.

This is the third such incident in Andhra Pradesh in a week. In Nandyal district, a young woman faced harassment by loan app agents and tried to end her life today, but was saved by the police.

Loan apps are an easy way to get loans online as they reduce the documentation process, but their methods of dealing with customers often face criticism for being overbearing or inhumane.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anita had raised concerns over loan apps in the state assembly last month and said the government would start cracking down on such people.

He had said, “Loan apps are luring the general public with their trap mechanisms. They first give loans with less documents and then torture the borrowers through illegal means. Their torture is so harsh that people are committing suicide. “