Trapped in debt, professor lands in Lucknow jail

Money lender transfers promissory notes to gang in U.P.

A senior professor of Madras Medical College has reportedly been languishing in a Lucknow jail for the past 13 days after he borrowed Rs. 20 lakh from a local money lender in Chennai on ‘kanduvatti’ (usurious rate of interest). M. Sudheer (57), a resident of TTK Salai, Alwarpet, is a professor of Orthopaedics at the Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Doctors’ associations in the State have demanded a fair investigation by an independent agency, such as the CBI or the CB-CID, to get him released.

In 2011, Dr. Sudheer reportedly borrowed Rs. 20 lakh from a money lender, M. Kamaraj of Purasawalkam, to meet the expenses towards his children’s education and for building a house. He gave blank cheques and promissory notes to the money lender.

The money was borrowed at an interest rate of 5% per month. Dr. Sudheer paid the interest till 2013. During 2014-2016, he remitted Rs. 80,000 as interest every month to the bank account of the money lender. He also paid Rs. 1.20 lakh in cash towards the principal every month. However, the lender allegedly prepared false documentation claiming the professor had borrowed Rs. 40 lakh and demanded that he pay up the amount.

Last May, the professor lodged a police complaint at the Teynampet police station against the money lender, alleging that he had threatened him and his family members. The case was forwarded by a Metropolitan Magistrate Court for investigation on December 15.

Notes manipulated

Meanwhile, Dr. Sudheer’s family claimed Kamaraj transferred the blank cheques and promissory notes to a gang in Lucknow. The members — Sarfroz, Piyush and Sachin Tandon — manipulated the promissory notes and blank cheques and filed a false case against Dr. Sudheer in the Aliganj police station, Lucknow.

The complainant, Sarfroz, claimed that the professor had taken Rs. 1 crore for securing permission to start a medical college, but failed to repay the amount.

The Uttar Pradesh police obtained a warrant and arrested Dr. Sudheer in the city on February 24. He was produced before the Magistrate Court at Saidapet which granted a transit remand.

A police party reportedly took him to Lucknow in a flight and proceeded first to Sarfroz’s house.

The gang members in Lucknow had been repeatedly threatening the family to pay up Rs. 40 lakh since then. However, when the family was not able to meet their demand, Dr. Sudheer was taken to a police station and then lodged in a Lucknow jail.

Dr. Sudheer’s wife K. Gayathri Devi took up the issue with State Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi, requesting him to take steps to ensure that the due legal procedure is followed and sought the release of her husband.