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Ice cream vendor Mohammad Akbar Ali borrowed a total of Rs 6 lakh from multiple sources.
Anwarul said the family has to pay around Rs 44,000 per month in interest and loan installments.
The impact of debt can be severe, but things took a tragic turn in Sirabad village of Sacramento district in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district when a father suffered a heart attack and passed away after facing threats of unpaid loans. Mohammad Akbar Ali, an ice cream vendor, borrowed a total of Rs 6 lakh from multiple sources, including seven companies, to finance his daughter's marriage and other expenses. His debts include Rs 1.31 lakh from two banks, Rs 2.20 lakh from another bank and additional amounts from other financial entities.
The situation escalated further when debt collectors began relentlessly pressuring him. On Monday, August 26, they came to his house and demanded immediate payment of Rs 6,000, further adding to his misery. Increasing pressure and threats reportedly caused Akbar Ali to suffer a heart attack, underscoring the serious toll of economic strain.
Ali's younger son, Anwarul, said company employees came to his door every day demanding repayment of the loan and threatened to use his daughter to repay the debt if the debt was not repaid. They would insist that she come to their offices and even suggest extreme measures such as selling livestock or even blood to raise funds. This harassment extended to public insults directed at his daughter, causing unbearable stress and ultimately causing Akbar Ali to suffer a heart attack.
Anwarul said the family has to pay around Rs 44,000 per month in interest and loan installments. The collector demands payment even if it is just an hour's delay, severely straining the family's financial situation.
To lighten the burden, his father sold ice cream, his brother worked as a laborer in another state, his mother did sewing, and his brother worked in a clothing store. Despite their efforts, they still had to raise Rs 12,000 every week to meet the loan requirements, which created huge pressure.
On March 9, 2019, even an hour's delay resulted in an additional charge of Rs 200 and a red ink mark in the loan account.
Commenting on the incident, SHO Raju Pal said they received information about the situation over the phone. The family chose not to conduct an autopsy but pledged that action would be taken if a formal complaint was made.
