TIRUNELVELI: The lady usurer whose continuous torture and demands of exorbitant interest was alleged to have pushed a daily wage labourer to set himself, his wife and two daughters ablaze at the Tirunelveli district collector's office on Monday, has now been arrested.
Police registered cases against money lender Muthulakshmi of Kasidharmam village near Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district and charged her under section 306 of IPC for abetment of suicide, section 511, and section four of the ‘Tamil Nadu Prohibition on Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2003’ for torturing a debtor for recovery of loan.
According to police sources, preliminary enquiry with Muthulakshmi revealed the alleged involvement of a retired police sub-inspector in the issue. Relatives of the usury victim, Esakkimuthu of Kasidharmam said that the retired cop had allegedly helped Muthulakshmi in influencing the local police who were charged with taking sides with the usurer and refusing to register Esakkimuthu’s complaint.
Tirunelveli district SP, Dr Arun Sakthi Kumar, however, stoutly denied the allegation that police had taken sides. “Complaints preferred by both parties have been properly registered,” he said and added that both parties at one point of enquiry, decided to settle the issue themselves amicably and had given this in writing. Speaking to DC, an unnamed police constable said that the usurer being a woman, the case was a sensitive one.
“Aware of the fact that the case was being re-opened following the recommendation of the district collector, the lady resorted to a suicide attempt last month (September 28),” he said. Villagers, however, said that the suicide attempt by the lady usurer was a bit of drama to avoid being enquired by the police.
