Private Lender Harassment Leads to Shop Owner Ending Life

Pune: A shocking incident has come to light in Koregaon Bhima, Shirur Taluka, where a shop owner took his own life due to harassment from private moneylenders. The Shirur Police Station has filed charges against eleven individuals, including local officials, causing a stir in the community.

According to reports, shop owner Kiran Kulkarni, owner of Vaishnavi Super Market in Koregaon Bhima, faced financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kulkarni borrowed money at high interest rates from private lenders.

Additionally, he had partnered with Sudhakar Dherange and Kantilal Dherange to build a property in the village. Over time, the pressure of repaying the lenders became overwhelming for Kulkarni. As a result, he decided to sell his share of the property.

However, the Dheranges obstructed the sale, causing deals to fall through. The private moneylenders continued to harass and threaten Kulkarni. Unable to bear the combined stress from the lenders and the Dheranges, Kulkarni, 48, ended his life by drowning in the Bhima River.

Mahesh Kulkarni, Kiran's brother, filed a complaint at the Shikrapur Police Station. Consequently, the police have charged eleven individuals: Navnath Bhandare, Santosh Bhandare, Sandeep Argade (all from Vadhu Budruk, Shirur), Sudhakar Kantilal Dherange, Kantilal Ramchandra Dherange, Amol Ghawane (all from Koregaon Bhima, Shirur), Shantaram Sawant (from Wadagaon, Shirur), Ajay Yadav, Janardhan Valunj (from Lonikand, Haveli), Kishore Khaladkar, former Sarpanch of Jategaon Khurd (from Jategaon Khurd, Shirur), and Mama Satav (from Wagholi, Haveli).

The charges allege that their harassment drove Kiran Kulkarni to suicide. The investigation is being conducted by Police Sub-Inspectors Mahesh Dongre and Pratik Jagtap, under the guidance of Police Inspector Dipartan Gaikwad.