Man’s suicide sparks outcry against co-op society prez

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of people staged a protest on Saturday morning carrying the body of a man who had allegedly committed suicide due to a financial dispute with the president of Chembazhanthy Agricultural Improvement Cooperative Society. The protesters were demanding the arrest of cooperative society president Jayakumar.
They remained in front of the bank with the body for three hours.Finally, RDO and the joint registrar of the cooperative societies had to intervene to disperse them by promising a transparent probe and action in two days.
Biju Kumar, 48, of Janaki Bhavan at Pangappara near Chempazhanthy, allegedly killed himself in the early hours of Saturday. He had left a suicide note stating that Jayakumar had borrowed Rs 2 lakh from him and it was not repaid despite him asking for it several times. The note stated that Jayakumar was responsible for his suicide.
Biju was in several financial difficulties as he had to repay a Rs 14 lakh bank loan and also other amounts to several other people. To repay the debt, Biju had requested Jayakumar to repay the money he had borrowed, but his pleas were ignored.
“Six months ago, Biju had won a chit fund at the society and using the money he received from it he cleared a gold loan. On Jayakumar’s request, Biju then pledged the gold in another bank for Rs 2 lakh and it was given to Jayakumar on the promise that it will be repaid in a month. Even after six months the money was not repaid and the deceased was even threatened by the president,” said a relative of the deceased.