Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh): A debt-ridden farmer was reportedly crushed to death under his own tractor while trying to stop recovery agents from seizing it over unpaid loan of Rs 90,000.
Police in Bhauri village registered a case against five persons and a hunt was on to nab them.
Circle officer Mohd Jawed Khan said that the farmer, Gyanchand (45), had borrowed money from a finance company to buy a tractor a few months ago. He was unable to deposit the monthly installments and a loan of Rs 90,000 was outstanding.
"Yesterday some recovery agents had come to our house. They were forcibly taking away the tractor. Gyanchand made every possible attempt to stop them. During this, he fell from the tractor. The recovery agent driving the tractor crushed Gyanchand, and he died on the spot," the farmer’s brother told the police.
Police were reportedly investigating the role of senior officials at the financier Larsen & Toubro. The company did not immediately comment, AFP reported.
Private financiers and banks are often accused of using strong-arm tactics against defaulting customers, often resorting to threats, especially in rural India.
In October, a debt-ridden labourer set himself and his three family members ablaze after being hounded by a loan shark in Tamil Nadu.
Tens of thousands of low-income farmers, denied loans by banks, rely on private lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates.
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