Yogesh K Porwar
E
ven as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a review meeting to tackle harassment of debtors by microfinance firms,a case of alleged harassment by a cooperative society in Mangaluru which allegedly led to the death of a debtor has been flagged.
A group of 33 members of the Mangalore Catholic Cooperative (MCC) Bank have now written a letter to Mr. Siddaramaiah and Home Minister,G.Parameshwara about the many alleged irregularities at the bank, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe,superseding the bank management and appointment of an administrator to supervise the bank.
The members have accused bank officials of harassing citizens under the pretext of loan recovery.
In December,2024,Manohar Periera,a disabled resident of Ulaibettu Cutinho Padav in Mangaluru and a member of MCC Bank,recorded a video blaming the bank’s chairman Anil Kumar Lobo for his death and ended his life.
Mr.Periera’s house was seized by the bank.He alleged Mr. Lobo withdrew 9 Lakh from the loan account using his self cheque.Mr.Lobo was arrested for abetment to suicide and later released,they said.
In the letter to the chief minister,the members have alleged that members of the bank management were running chit funds and were coercing MCC Bank borrowers to participate in their schemes.
They also alleged that several properties seized by the bank over loan defaults were being transferred to benami names and laundered and that even to get a loan from the bank,a commission had to be paid.