MADURAI

A woman, aged around 60, residing in Tirumangalam here, attempted suicide on Sunday allegedly owing to usury harassment.

According to her son M. Kasimayan, his mother M. Pandiammal, who takes up work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, and his father P. Mayan, an autorickshaw driver, had borrowed ₹ 50,000 from Kuttipandi and his wife three years ago at an exorbitant interest rate.

He said that the couple had been paying back ₹ 2,500 per month as interest since then. “Mr. Kuttipandi and his wife, however, claimed that the principal amount was still not repaid. My parents were forced to borrow more money from the same couple to repay the earlier loan,” he alleged.

Citing his neighbours and his mother, he said that Mr. Kuttipandi and his wife came to Ms. Pandiammal’s house at Indira Nagar in Tirumangalam on Sunday when she was alone and abused her in vulgar language for not repaying the money.

“Seeing the situation, a neighbour paid ₹ 800 and asked the couple to leave. However, they did not,” he added.

Dejected by the harassment, Ms. Pandiammal allegedly locked up her house and consumed lice-control pesticide in a bid to commit suicide, he said.

She was later taken to the government hospital in Tirumangalam, where she is presently recuperating. Mr. Kasimayan, who rushed to Tirumangalam from Chennai, where he presently resides, blamed the police for not filing a case under relevant sections and persuading him instead to resolve the issue amicably with Mr. Kuttipandi.

Denying the allegations, an official from Tirumangalam Town Police Station said that a case was filed under Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act and other relevant sections on Sunday night.

“Mr. Kuttipandi went absconding. We have formed teams to arrest him,” he said.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.