KOCHI: Throwing light on the tricks played by moneylenders, a woman who borrowed Rs. 5 lakh from a one of them lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner alleging that he had cheated her of her property worth Rs. 1.5 crore.According to a complaint filed by Susamma Zacharia of Karingattil House, C T Ummer Road, she borrowed Rs. 5 lakh from a lender in separate installments starting from March 2004. She was forced to take a loan as her brother George Zacharia fell ill and required emergency fund to meet his medical expenses. The said 2.7 cents of land, including a residential house, on C T Ummer Road was under suit for partition before the subcourt, Ernakulam, which was to be equally divided among the six children. Since the land was under legal dispute, Susamma approached a moneylender who agreed to pay Rs. 5 lakh at an interest of Rs. 1 per Rs. 100. He obtained the signed blank stamp papers and white paper with affixed revenue stamps from her for the money. “The behavior of the lender and the agent was so convincing that Susamma never suspected any foul play. The lender paid Rs. 3 lakh initially and promised to pay the rest within a month’s time. But when she approached him again, he forced her to mortgage the additional three cents of her sister's land also as security,” Susamma said. In 2008 Susamma paid the moneylender the whole sum of Rs. 12.75 lakh but did not give a receipt for the payment. Only in January 2008 she realised that she was cheated when she received a notice from the Vigilance court pertaining to another case in which the moneylender attempted to cheat another woman by lending her money on a land under legal dispute as security. Doubting the lender’s intention, Susamma also applied for the copy of the documents. After receiving the copy she came to understand that the 5.7 cents of land was rewritten in the lender’s name stating that she had sold the property worth Rs. 1.5 crore to the lender for Rs. 5 lakh. In 2009 she prayed before the court that she was looted by the lender and that her land should be returned to her. She had also filed a compliant with the City Police Commissioner. No action has been initiated till date. “The moneylender who is also a High Court official is an influential person. He has threatened my brother and me with dire consequences if we proceed legally,” said Susamma.
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