Argus News - A Kidney for a ₹1 Lakh Loan! Debt Trap Drives Maharashtra Farmer to Desperate Choice

Mumbai/Bhubaneswar, Dec 17: A shocking incident from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district has brought renewed attention to the severe financial distress faced by many farmers.

A debt‑ridden farmer, Roshan Sadashiv Kude, has alleged that he was forced to sell one of his kidneys after his small loan of ₹1 lakh ballooned into an unpayable amount due to illegal moneylenders charging exorbitant interest.

According to Roshan, repeated crop failures pushed him to consider starting a dairy business. To fund this, he borrowed ₹1 lakh from local moneylenders. However, before the business could begin, the cows he purchased died, and his farmland suffered further crop damage. As his financial situation worsened, the moneylenders allegedly began harassing him and his family.

Roshan claimed that despite selling his land, tractor, and household valuables, he could not clear the mounting debt. With interest allegedly rising to ₹10,000 per day, the total amount demanded reached nearly ₹74 lakh. Under immense pressure, one of the moneylenders reportedly suggested that he sell a kidney to repay the dues.

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He was then taken to Kolkata for medical tests and later to Cambodia, where the kidney was allegedly sold for ₹8 lakh through an agent. Roshan says he returned home physically weakened and mentally distressed.

Despite filing a complaint, Roshan alleges that no significant action has been taken by the police so far. He has appealed for justice and protection for his family, expressing deep fear and frustration over the ongoing harassment.

He has now warned that if he does not get justice, he and his family will stage a protest in front of the state government’s head office in Mumbai, adding that if necessary, he might commit self-immolation.

The accused moneylenders — identified as Kishor Bawankule, Manish Kalbande, Laxman Urkude, Pradeep Bawankule, Sanjay Ballarpure, and Laxman Borkar — are residents of Brahmapuri town. The case has sparked widespread concern about predatory lending practices and the vulnerability of farmers facing repeated economic setbacks.