Man ‘forced to sell blood’ to repay mobile EMI, held hostage as ‘domestic help’ in UP

Wait 5 sec.

During investigation, the DCP said, the police team identified the accused as employees of a private finance companyThe Lucknow Police on Thursday arrested two employees of a private finance company who allegedly forced a youth to donate his blood and work as a domestic help to recover the pending EMI amount against a loan the victim had taken to purchase a mobile phone. The police have announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on another absconding employee allegedly involved in the harassment.Lucknow DCP, South, Mohammad Mushtaque told media that the two accused, identified as Aniket Singh and Sushant Sharma, have been arrested for harassing the victim, Newal, after his mother complained about her son being forcibly taken away by a few persons from the house on September 8. A case was lodged on September 14 on the mother’s complaint, and an investigation initiated.During investigation, the DCP said, the police team identified the accused as employees of a private finance company by using call details and other scientific evidence. While Aniket and Sushant were arrested, one Shubham Singh is still absconding, he said.While the victim had earlier narrated the harassment he faced to the police, the arrests were made after the two accused confessed to the crime on Thursday.Newal, a resident of Rajaramkhera village in Nigohan police station area on the outskirts of Lucknow, had purchased a mobile phone from a local shop at a cost of Rs 21,500 in July end. The amount was financed by the private company located in Gomti Nagar area at a monthly EMI of Rs 2,799 for one year, the police investigation found.Newal has no job or any other source of income but the shop and finance company employees still financed the loan amount. Newal could not even pay his first monthly EMI.The recovery agents, Aniket and Shubham, visited Newal’s house on September 8 and took him away. They allegedly took him to a blood bank where they forced him to donate one unit of blood, and collected the money thus obtained. Newal was later taken to Shubham’s house where he was allegedly detained for over four days and forced to work as a domestic help.Story continues below this adShubham and Aniket also allegedly recovered one month’s EMI from Newal’s brother Rajkumar before releasing him from the alleged detention, the police added.The DCP told the media that they will be initiating action against the blood bank and the finance company as well, if any evidence is found against them.