Rajkot: A businessman and his wife were found dead at their garlic-processing unit in the Atika industrial zone, with their family claiming that mounting debt and alleged harassment by moneylenders had pushed the couple into severe distress.Police said the deceased are Ramesh Chavda and his wife, Bharti, both aged 40. Originally from Manavadar in Junagadh, the couple lived in the Mavdi area of Rajkot and operated a garlic-processing unit in Atika. They are survived by their 15-year-old son.According to family members, the couple left their residence at around 1:30 am and went to their factory. When Ramesh’s father, Mavji Chavda, noticed their absence and became concerned, he alerted a relative and began searching for them. The family members later found the couple hanging inside the factory premises. They were rushed to a hospital by ambulance, but doctors declared them dead on arrival. Their bodies were later sent for post-mortem examinations.The family has alleged that financial pressure and threats from moneylenders contributed to the tragedy. According to Mavji Chavda, Ramesh had borrowed Rs 4 lakh around three months ago to overcome financial difficulties. The family claims that the outstanding amount rose to Rs 8 lakh due to accumulated interest.Mavji further said that the lenders pressured the couple to pay substantial interest and threatened to increase the interest burden if their demands were not met. Unable to arrange the money and distressed by the recovery threats, the couple was under severe mental strain.Relatives have specifically alleged harassment by a moneylender based in Morbi. However, these allegations are yet to be established through the police investigation.Bhaktinagar police have initiated legal proceedings and launched an investigation into the incident and the family’s allegations.Police Inspector J D Parmar said investigators were examining the claims made by the family. The probe is focusing on identifying the alleged lender, verifying the original loan amount and interest charged and determining whether threats were made to the couple.Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation, police added.
