VIJAYAWADA: A shocking case of loan shark brutality came to light at Sattenapalli in Palnadu district, where a man identified as Mappalla Anji Babu (40) allegedly died after being forced to consume poison due to his inability to repay a loan. The prime accused in the case, identified as Sheikh Mahboob Subhani (50), allegedly abducted the victim and coerced him into taking his own life.
According to Piduguralla inspector Venkat Rao, the deceased, a resident of Sattenapalli, took a loan of Rs 2.50 lakh from Subhani. Facing financial distress, he was unable to repay the amount and sought refuge at Piduguralla, staying at the railway quarters of his acquaintance, Rama Rao, who was the station master. His friend, Gavan Kumar Reddy, also accompanied him.
On March 3, at around 9:30 am, Subhani and his associates tracked Anji Babu to the railway quarters. They convinced him to come with them, along with his friend Gavan. The group left in a car and drove towards an open plot near a highway opposite a dhaba. At the location, Subhani allegedly confronted Anji Babu about the pending debt, leading to a heated argument. The situation escalated into a physical altercation. In desperation, Anji Babu called his acquaintances for financial assistance but was unsuccessful in securing the required funds.
In the evening, the group moved towards Nageswarapuram Tanda, a remote farmland area, where they allegedly forced Anji Babu to take his own life. Under duress, he reportedly agreed to consume pesticide. When he drank the poison, the accused panicked and fled the scene, leaving Anji Babu in a critical condition. Despite his deteriorating health, he managed to reach Piduguralla and sought medical assistance at a nursing home. Due to the severity of his condition, he was transferred to a private hospital in Guntur, where he died during treatment.
Following the incident, rumours broke out that Anji Babu was stabbed to death by the accused. However, Venkat Rao refuted the claims, stating that the postmortem report confirms poisoning as the cause of death. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, and efforts are underway to nab the accused.
