Debt trap drives Chandrapur farmer to sell kidney

The rate of interest charged by the moneylenders was so steep that Roshan Sadashiv Kude’s total liability on loans worth ₹1 lakh has reached ₹74 lakh, he told Hindustan Times

NAGPUR: A debt-ridden farmer from a remote village in Chandrapur district was forced to sell his kidney in 2024 in a bid to repay loans taken from moneylenders. The rate of interest charged by the moneylenders was so steep that the farmer Roshan Sadashiv Kude’s total liability on loans worth ₹1 lakh has reached ₹74 lakh, and even the ₹8 lakh he had received by selling a kidney was not enough to settle the account, Kude told Hindustan Times.

Debt trap drives Chandrapur farmer to sell kidney

“I lost my kidney to repay the loan. I have nothing left. If I am not given justice, I will be forced to take an extreme step along with my family in front of the agriculture ministry,” Kude, who lives in Minthur village under the Nagbhid tehsil, told HT, appealing to the state government for justice.

Kude’s desperate plea prompted Superintendent of Police of Chandrapur, Mummaka Sudarshan, and other senior officials to visit Nagbhid on Tuesday.

“We have rounded up four persons from Nagbhid in connection with the case and are questioning them,” a senior police officer told HT.

Kude, 42, owns four acres of farmland. Troubled by poor agricultural yields and natural calamities, he ventured into dairy farming about five years ago by borrowing ₹50,000 each from two moneylenders in Nagbhid. Though he purchased some cows with the money, the animals died soon, and he was compelled to borrow more money from other moneylenders to repay earlier loans, such that his total liability reached ₹74 lakh.

Kude told HT that the moneylenders frequently visited his house, subjected him to constant pressure, and used abusive language to recover their dues. In desperation, he sold two acres of his land, his tractor, and several household items. Since this was not enough to repay the loans, the moneylenders advised him to sell his kidney. An agent then took him to Kolkata for some medical tests; in 2024, he was taken to Cambodia on a 20-day visa, where he underwent a surgery to remove a kidney.

“I received ₹8 lakh in return. But even then, the moneylenders said the debt was unpaid and continued to demand more money,” he said.

The distressed farmer said he had earlier approached the Superintendent of Police, Chandrapur, seeking action against the moneylenders, but alleged that the police failed to act in time.

“Had action been taken earlier, I would not have been forced to sell my kidney,” he said.

A police officer from Chandrapur said that Kude had approached the Chandrapur police last month to lodge a complaint. But he left the police station when questioned about his foreign tour without providing any details, the officer said.

Kude, however, declined to disclose names of the moneylenders, saying he would reveal everything to the police.