Mangaluru: Dalit leaders have urged the police department to take stringent action against those indulging in illegal money lending business and charging an exorbitant rate of interest from the poorer borrowers.
During the monthly SC/ST grievances meeting at the office of the Commissioner of Police on Sunday, April 28, Dalit leaders pointed out an incident where a borrower attempted to commit suicide as he was unable to bear the money lender’s harassment.
Dalit leader S P Anand accused Praveen, who runs an illegal finance business and charges exorbitant rates of interest from his customers, of this incident. Santhosh from Karkala had borrowed money from Praveen and attempted to commit suicide recently as he was unable to tolerate the harassment meted out to him by the money lender. Though a complaint has been registered at the Mangaluru North police station in this regard, no action has yet been taken by the police, he lamented.
Responding to the allegation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Lakshmi Ganesh K asked the Bunder police to conduct a thorough investigation in this regard.
Anand also complained against school vans, autorickshaws and other vehicles that violate the traffic rules while ferrying students to schools. “As school vehicles carry more students above their limits, the police department should take a serious note of this,” he said.
DCP Lakshmi Ganesh informed that a meeting will be convened shortly and that strict instructions will be given after inviting the heads of schools and colleges and the drivers of school vehicles.
