Sangli suicide case: Moneylenders among 13 arrested for harassing family of nine found dead

Ajay Sindkar, Police Inspector, Local Crime Branch, said, “The Vhanmore brothers and a few other members of the family had borrowed money on interest from the accused moneylenders. Although they were regularly paying the interest amount, the lenders and other accused persons were repeatedly and publicly harassing them—mentally and physically. The deceased persons ended their lives after the harassment became unbearable.”

Those arrested so far have been identified by the police as Nandkumar Ramchandra Pawar (52), Rajendra Lakshman Bannne (50), Anil Lakshman Banne (35), Khanderao Shinde (37), Dr Tatyasaheb Chougule (50), Shailesh Ramchandra Dhumal (56), Prakash Krushna Pawar (45), Sanjay Irappa Bagadi (51), Anil Balu Borade (48), Pandurang Shripati Ghorpade (56), Shivaji Laxman Kore (65), and Rekha Tatyasaheb Chougule (45). All of them are residents of Mhaisal.

“We have sent out teams to Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Karnataka to trace and arrest the remaining 12 accused,” said Sindkar.

On Monday afternoon, two brothers Manik Vhanmore (49) and Popat Vhanmore (52), their wives, children, and mother were found dead in separate houses. Police officials found a note from one of the houses which pointed out that the family members took the extreme step because of debt. Manik, a veterinarian, and Popat, who was a teacher, lived a kilometre apart.

The deaths were discovered after neighbours of the two families and employees at Manik’s clinic came to their houses after the doors of their house were not opened since the morning and Manik did not go to the clinic.

The bodies of Manik, his mother Akkatai (72), his wife Rekha (45), their children Anita (28) and Aditya (15) and Popat’s son Shubham (28) were found at his house. The bodies of Popat, his wife Sangeeta (48), and daughter Archana (30) were found at Popat’s house.