Maharashtra: A 39-year-old resident of Sector 19 in Koparkhairane committed suicide on May 26 after he was allegedly harassed by a private moneylender for a long time. The deceased Ravindra Mohan Shinde left behind a suicide note in which he held the moneylender responsible for his death and appealed to former chief minister Eknath Shinde to ensure the “strictest punishment” to the accused.
According to the police, Shinde was found hanging on the roof of his house. Initially, an accidental death report (ADR) was filed. However, on May 27, his family found a suicide note, following which they lodged a formal police complaint after completing the funeral rituals on June 2.
Based on the contents of the note and the allegations made by the family, the Koparkhairane police have now registered a case of abetment to suicide under Section 108 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS).
The accused has been identified as Prathamesh Chavan, 30, who reportedly lives in Dwarinagar near Vakola Bridge in Santacruz. Police said Ravindra had borrowed Rs 25,000 from Chavan around two months ago at an interest rate of 12.5%. However, the suicide note alleges that Chavan later started demanding more than 30% interest and repeatedly harassed the victim when he was unable to pay.
