Mumbai Mirror

• Mob delivers instant verdict to Citi Financial agent who had gone to Kalwa to recover a loan

Mumbai, Oct 12: A loan recovery agent, on everyone’s hate list at the moment, was at the receiving end of over-the-top mob justice in Kalwa on Thursday October 11, after he allegedly threatened a resident who had missed paying just one instalment of his loan.

The mob thrashed the Citi Financial agent, stripped him, made him do sit-ups and apologise to the resident and finally forced him to give in writing that he himself was to blame for the mob assault.

As an argument breaks out between him and the shop-owner, the latter's friends arrive at the
scene and begin hitting Mane

His furious employers, Primeone Workforce Pvt Ltd, have said they will file a complaint against the culprits.

Loan Recovery

Prashant Mane, a recovery agent with a Dadar-based agency, was assigned the task of recovering dues from Hasmukh Gala, a stationery shop owner. Gala had apparently defaulted on a Citi Financial loan of Rs 25,000 and had stopped making payments since the last two months.

The loan period was 36 months and the interest rate 18 per cent.

Gala said, “I had missed just one loan instalment when I was out of town. But the harassing calls started soon after.

“I told them I was ready to pay off the remaining amount of Rs 5,000, but the bank refused to let me do that. So, I stopped making payments thereafter.”

After the hammering, Mane is made to do sit-ups and tender an apology to the shop-owner
even as a crowd gathers to gawk

Calls and threats

The recovery agents then allegedly started visiting Gala’s house and threatening his family members.

Pushpa, Gala’s wife, said, “The recovery agents used to abuse us and make embarrassing comments to us. They even barged into the house when I was alone at home.”

Tired of the harassment, Gala asked the finance company to settle the matter once and for all and take the remaining amount.

However, when Mane arrived at Gala’s shop on Thursday, he allegedly demanded that Gala sign on a stamp paper and hand over four blank cheques.

Angry at the demand for blank cheques, Gala began to argue with Mane.

“Seeing Mane getting abusive with me, my neighbours intervened and warned him to behave. When Mane threatened them as well, they got angry and forced him out of the shop,” Gala said.

He was then thrashed on the street by the mob, made to do sit-ups and also to give a statement in writing that he was at fault and the mob violence was the result of his behaviour.

Employer says

Citi Bank officials at the Thane branch from where Gala had borrowed a loan were unaware of the incident and refused to comment on it.

However, Amit Pethia, spokesperson from Primeone Workforce Pvt Ltd said, “We are aware of the issue and are in the process of filing a complaint against the culprits.”

However, Kalwa police station had not received any complaint till late Thursday evening.