The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a deeply disturbing incident in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, where a woman was tied to a tree and physically assaulted by a moneylender over loan repayment issues.
The incident occurred on June 16 in Narayanapuram village, Kuppam mandal. According to reports, the woman’s husband had borrowed ₹80,000 from multiple lenders three years ago and later absconded, leaving her and their three children behind. The woman had been repaying the debt in parts by working as a daily wage labourer.
However, tensions escalated when one of the lenders allegedly demanded the entire loan amount in one go. When she couldn’t pay, the woman was tied to a tree in public and beaten. Villagers and police eventually stepped in to rescue her.
Calling the incident a grave human rights violation, the NHRC has issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, demanding a detailed report within two weeks. The Commission emphasized that if media accounts are accurate, the matter reflects serious lapses in both law enforcement and social safeguards.
The case has sparked outrage over informal lending practices, the lack of borrower protections, and violence against women, especially those left vulnerable due to abandonment or economic exploitation.