Advertisement

AN AGENT of a debt recovery firm, allegedly having a tie-up with a prominent private bank, sustained injuries in police firing on Sunday.

The agent, along with three others, was trying to escape after allegedly depriving a contractor Jitendra Singh of Rs 5500 in cash and a cheque of the ICICI Bank. The incident took place in Ashiana colony here.

The incident comes a week after a woman filed a complaint with the police in Hyderabad, alleging her husband was tortured to death by agents of a debt recovery firm.

In Sunday's case, DIG Chandra Prakash said the contractor had got his car financed from the ICICI Bank. Four installments of the loan were not paid. The DIG ordered that cases under the Gangster Act be lodged against the alleged recovery agents. 

Mohanlalganj Circle Officer told HT, "We are now trying to find out whether the agents were hired by the bank to realise the balance loan amount pending with the contractor. If it is confirmed, then we will initiate proceedings against the bank."

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Rural, AK Singh said a probe had been ordered. Alok Pathak, PRO to the SSP, said, "The recovery agent who was injured in police firing did say that he worked for a debt recovery firm and he had gone to force the contractor to either pay the balance installment or part with his car."

Around 3 pm, contractor Jitendra Singh of S 1/186 Eldeco Colony under Mohanlalganj police circle, along with his brother Ashish, was passing through Ashiana Colony in his Santro Car. The vehicle was reportedly financed by the ICICI Bank.

Just then, four motorcycle-borne armed miscreants forced Singh to stop his vehicle. They identified themselves as recovery agents and allegedly asked Singh to part with the car keys.

The Mohanlalganj CO said, "They also fired, looted the contractor of cash." Singh's brother Ashish raised an alarm. Incharge of SGPGI police outpost Shiv Moorti Mishra, who was nearby, chased the miscreants after they were trying to escape. Mishra said that the miscreants opened fire at the police.

The cops returned the fire. In the firing, one youth identified as Pankaj was injured. He has been admitted to the Trauma Centre and placed under arrest. Three others identified as Vikas Gupta, Nirbhay Singh and Sher Singh escaped. When contacted, an ICICI official said the matter was being looked into. "Prima facie it appears it has nothing to do with the bank," the official said. The official said the bank would release an official statement on Monday.

On Saturday, alleged recovery agents had seized Dr AK Sachan's vehicle. Dr Sachan works for Shekhar Hospital in Indira Nagar. IG Lucknow zone, AK Jain said, "We would act decisively against strong arm tactics that the banks employ to realise their amount."

SSP BP Jogdand had recently sent a letter to all private banks and finance companies, asking them to inform the police whenever they planned to recover the pending loan amount from defaulters. The SSP had specifically warned the banks and finance companies against seizing the vehicles without informing the police.  
 manishchandrapandey@gmail.com