Kochi: Activist dies arguing with bank’s loan recovery team

Kochi: A 63-year-old man collapsed and died on Thursday morning while having an argument with a team of bank officials who came to his house at Eloor here following vehicle loan default by his son.

Environmentalist and social activist Joseph Vadassery collapsed at 8.20 am and though he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was declared brought dead. Eloor Police has registered a case for unnatural death (CrPC 174).

“His son had taken a loan of nearly Rs 1lakh from the Palarivattom branch of a new generation bank to buy a motorcycle and defaulted in paying two months’ installment that came to around Rs 7,000. Three collection agents arrived at his house at Eloor Ferry on Thursday morning to collect the dues and had a heated argument with Joseph who collapsed soon,” police said.

Joseph reportedly suffered from High Blood Pressure and Diabetics.

Meanwhile his wife said she was in the kitchen when the incident happened.