Loan app recovery agent accused of abetting suicide granted bail by Thane court
India Today
Thane court has granted bail to a 24-year-old man accused of abetting the suicide of a woman who had taken a loan from mobile loan apps, saying that the averments in the FIR do not show that there was continuous harassment from the accused and other callers.
Thane sessions court has granted bail to a 24-year-old man in connection with the suicide case of a woman who ended her life after repeated harassment from loan recovery agents. The woman had taken loans from an app and had returned the entire money but was still receiving threatening calls from recovery agents.
The prosecution case was that the deceased identified as Daksha Boricha had availed a loan from Quick Loan App and Sunshine Loan App. However, despite paying off the loan amount, she was receiving calls from atleast 12 different mobile numbers to clear off debts.
The collection agents even forwarded messages about her to her relatives which said, "This woman is a thief. She has run away with a loan." Fed up with the harassment, the woman ended her life between March 14 and 16 and her body was found only when it was washed ashore at Thane. A suicide note was also recovered by the police.
Advocate Aditya Mishra appeared for the accused and argued that he was falsely arrested despite his non-involvement in the crime. There is no immediate instigation which is a prerequisite of Section 306 (Abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code, said Mishra.
On the other hand, the prosecution argued against the grant of bail and said that the accused forwarded messages via his own mobile phone and threatened the deceased for payment. She was persistently threatened for repayment of loan. In case a bail is granted, then the likelihood of threatening the deceased woman's brother who filed the complaint and witnesses cannot be ruled out.
Additional sessions judge RR Kakani, while granting the bail, said that the deceased was a borrower of loan from the apps. However, the averments in the FIR do not show that there was continuous harassment from the accused and other callers with the view that the deceased would commit suicide.
The court also saw that the deceased's brother had registered the complaint only after 7 days of the body being found.
