A farmer in Chhattisgarh sought a loan for his poultry business, but the bank manager had other plans—eating his chickens instead. Over time, the manager devoured Rs 39,000 worth of desi murga, while still denying the Rs 12 lakh loan. Now, the wronged farmer has threatened to go on a hunger strike till action is taken against the manager and his money is returned.
When a bank manager in Chhattisgarh’s Masturi wanted to relish some succulent desi murga (country chicken), he found a bakra — a farmer who wanted a loan approved by him. Having had desi murga worth Rs 39,000, and taking a cut of 10 per cent, the manager refused to approve the loan of Rs 12 lakh, according to a report in Nai Dunia.
Rupchand Manhar was dreaming of expanding his poultry business and needed money for that. He thought of taking a loan from the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Masturi, according to the Nai Dunia report.
Masturi is in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.
Manhar couldn’t have imagined that instead of adding chickens to his farm, he would end up losing them to a bank manager.
The farmer said that he had paid up the entire 10% commission within two months by selling his chickens.
Then the bank manager asked for desi chicken every Saturday to approve his loan, and ended up having chicken worth Rs 38,900, claimed Manhar.
The farmer procured the desi chicken from a village and said he even had the bills of those chickens that he bought and gave to the manager.
Soon, Manhar understood that the manager was in no mood to approve his loan, and was just fleecing him.
The manager wasn’t even paying for the chickens he ate.
Finding no way out, Manhar complained to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) office, according to the Nai Dunia report.
He sought action against the manager and his money, including those spent on buying the desi murga, returned. If the officials failed to act, the farmer threatened he would end his life.
He threatened to sit on a hunger strike and if his demands weren’t met, threatened to immolate himself in front of the SBI branch in Masturi, according to the report.
