68-year-old Kerala tribal man dies by suicide after bank loan notice, sparking protests

WAYANAD: A 68-year-old tribal man of a tribal settlement in Wayanad district in Kerala died by suicide after allegedly receiving a court notice for a 20-year-old bank loan default, sparking protests by tribal groups, the police said on Tuesday.

The victim, identified as Shankarankutty, a resident of Nenmeni in the Ambukuthi Kaippancheri settlement, was found hanging from a tree in a coffee plantation near his home late on Monday night, the police said.

The Ambalavayal police, whose jurisdiction covers his settlement, said that Shankarankutty had been missing since Monday morning and was found dead that night during a search.

His suicide reportedly sparked protests by tribal rights activists and local politicians in Batheri demanding justice for the victim.

Shankarankutty had been under mental stress after receiving a notice from the Batheri Munsif Court to repay the loan

According to his relatives, the notice related to a Rs 25,000 loan that he had taken from the Sulthan Batheri Grameen Bank around two decades ago. However, Shankarankutty could not repay the loan installments regularly due to poor financial condition.

As a result, the outstanding debt, including interest, had reportedly risen to over Rs 2 lakh, far beyond what he could manage, adding immense financial pressure on him.