Blade mafia lures poor in Kochi

 

Kochi: Disturbing reports of the Tamil blade mafia exploiting the poor are emerging from the district, especially in areas like Panangad on the city’s outskirts. 

 

The mafia reportedly lures the poor with offers of loans at an interest rate of Rs 1 per Rs 100 a week and then beats up those who accept the bait should they default in payment. 

 

Most end up paying double the amount borrowed, according to the police. 

The latest victim of the mafia operation is believed to be a youth who was beaten up in his home in Gandhi Nagar near Kadavanthara in front of his parents by a group of men. 

 

The police suspects Ajith S Nair  of Karithara Nivas, LAG Colony, was attacked because his parents  had borrowed money from a man identified as Thambi.

 

 “We think the moneylender could be a part of the Tamil blade mafia and are hoping  to identify and arrest him soon,” the police said. 

Ajith has told the police that his father borrowed Rs 4000 from  Thambi about 16 months ago,  paying  interest of around Rs 400 a month. 

 

“But last month Thambi came to my home demanding Rs 2000. We could not pay it. He then came on Friday night and threatened my father. When we said we ‘d call the police, he left but soon returned with two others and began assaulting me. 

 

They finally left when I lost consciousness," he recounted. The police reveals that as many as 33 cases involving the Tamil blade mafia were registered last year. 

 

“They usually give the loans to women so that they can threaten them whenever they like,” it added.