Dharna staged in front of money lender's house

Tenali: The People's Organisations staged a dharna on Tuesday in protest against money lender cum jewellery showroom owner Sankaraju of SR Jewellers for driving M Rameshbabu and his wife to commit suicide with his indecent behaviour and pressure to repay the loan. They staged a dharna in front of Sankaraju's house with the bodies demanding him to pay compensation for the kids of the deceased. State Backward Class Association political convenor Karri Venumadhav demanded the accused to write half of his assets in the name of victims' children. The protesters also demanded the government to announces an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the orphaned kids. Later, they took out a rally to the RDO Office and submitted a memorandum to the officer concerned.A In a suicide pact, a debt-ridden couple ended life in Tenali on Tuesday. According to the police, they left a suicide note purportedly written by them stating that they are resorting to extreme step unable to bear humiliation meted out to them by the owner of a jewellery showroom and money lender. According to sources, M Rameshbabu, a resident of Islampeta in Tenali, was working as a jewellery maker, and took Rs 1.80 lakh loan from Sankaraju of SR Jewellers. In the meantime, the Sankaraju exerted pressure on Rameshbabu to repay the loan. When he failed to clear the loan, he reportedly spoke in an unethical manner about his wife. Therefore, unable to bear the torture, he reportedly committed suicide along with his wife by drinking cool drink laced with cyanide. S Sharathbabu, elder brother of the deceased, speaking to the media, alleged that Sankaraju had behaved in an inhuman manner with his brother. Hence, he took the extreme step, he said. He demanded justice to his two children who became orphans with the death of their parents. The police registered a case basing on the suicide note and took up investigation.