The Hindu : Karnataka News : Lorry driver ends life

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Friday, Jul 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Lorry driver ends life

Staff Correspondent

HASSAN: Unable to bear the pressure from loan recovery officers of a finance company, a lorry owner in Sakleshpur committed suicide on Wednesday, according to the police.

Enraged by this, the Lorry Owners Association kept the body on National Highway 48 in Sakleshpur and staged a dharna on Thursday. Members of the association obstructed traffic on Mangalore-Bangalore Road demanding action against the finance company.

They withdrew the dharna only after a case was registered under Section 306 of Indian Penal Code against the finance company. They took the body to the victim’s native village, Basavana Halli, for cremation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police H. Rudrappa, who is camping in Sakleshpur, told The Hindu that the finance company had agreed to pay compensation to the victim’s family.

The police said that Raju alias Koli Raja (38), who had taken loan from the finance company, had to pay three instalments. The loan recovery team of the company, however, insisted that Raju pay the due on the spot. All appeals by Raju for time failed. The due was Rs. 45,000 and Raju appealed to them to accept Rs. 10,000 now. He told them that he would pay the balance in three or four days.

Sarojamma, Raju’s wife, in her complaint to the Sakleshpur police, has said that the team manhandled her husband. Then her husband consumed poison. When Raju fell unconscious, the team fled. Raju was rushed to hospital where he died.

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