A deeply disturbing case of debt-driven exploitation has emerged from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, exposing the brutal realities faced by distressed farmers.
According to police, a farmer from Minthur village in Nagbhid taluka was allegedly pushed to the extreme step of selling his kidney after being trapped in an illegal moneylending racket. The victim, Roshan Sadashiv Kude, owns four acres of farmland, but repeated crop failures left him struggling to earn a stable income. Hoping to survive, he ventured into dairy farming and, in April 2021, borrowed Rs 1 lakh from local moneylenders at a steep interest rate of nearly 40 per cent.
What followed was a relentless cycle of harassment. After the cows he purchased died, Kude’s income collapsed, and the lenders began charging compound interest along with daily penalties. Despite making regular repayments for almost three years, the debt ballooned dramatically—from the original Rs 1 lakh to a staggering Rs 74 lakh, police said.
As pressure mounted, the moneylenders allegedly began visiting his home repeatedly, threatening him and his family. In a desperate attempt to clear the dues, Kude sold a portion of his agricultural land, his tractor and even household items. When that still failed to satisfy the lenders, one of them reportedly suggested that he sell his kidney to repay the loan.
Police said an agent then arranged for Kude to be taken to Kolkata for medical tests, after which he was sent to Cambodia, where the kidney transplant surgery was carried out. In return, he was paid Rs 8 lakh—an amount that barely dented the inflated debt he was facing.
Chandrapur Superintendent of Police Sudarshan Mumakka confirmed that a case has been registered and a detailed investigation is underway. “The loan was taken in 2021. Though the farmer kept paying installments for three years, the interest kept compounding. He was ultimately forced to sell his kidney in October last year,” the SP said.
The police have registered a case at the Brahmpuri police station under charges of extortion and violations of the Maharashtra Moneylending (Regulation) Act. The accused include Kishor Bawankule, Manish Ghatbandhe, Laxman Urkude, Pradeep Bawankule, Sanjay Ballarpure and Satyavan Borkar. All accused have been arrested, officials confirmed.
