7 persons held in connection with Harshita suicide

Vijayawada: Seven persons were arrested in connection with the suicide of an engineering student Harishita Varshini last week due to harassment by recovery agents.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Mary Prashanti told media persons here on Monday that three managers and four recovery agents who had set up a call centre in Vijayawada and harassing customers, were taken into custody by the police. The accused had admitted that they had humiliated the family members of Harishita.

The recovery organisation, SLV Financial Services, was functioning from Begumpet and action had to be taken according to RBI guidelines in cases of harassment of customers, she said, adding that the student Harshita had committed suicide only because she was abused by the recovery agents.

Harishita, 17, who belonged to Nandigama town near here committed suicide after four persons visited her house and abused her and threatened her on July 28 as she failed to clear the loan taken from Staate Bank of India.

Police registered the case on a complaint from her mother and are investigating.