A farmer from Maharashtra says he was forced to sell his kidney after illegal moneylenders turned a Rs 1 lakh loan into Rs 74 lakh through high interest. After farm losses and harassment, he travelled to Cambodia for the surgery.
In a deeply disturbing case, a poor farmer from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district says he was forced to sell his kidney after illegal moneylenders drove him into extreme debt. What began as a loan of just Rs 1 lakh reportedly grew to an unpayable Rs 74 lakh because of high and illegal interest charges.
The farmer, Roshan Sadashiv Kude, is from Minthur village in Nagbhid taluka. He says he sold his kidney for Rs 8 lakh after facing months of pressure, threats and harassment from moneylenders. He has now approached authorities, seeking justice and a full investigation into the people involved.
Loan taken to start dairy business
Kude said he had been facing losses in farming for several years. Hoping to improve his family’s income, he decided to start a small dairy business. For this, he borrowed a total of Rs 1 lakh from two private moneylenders. He took Rs 50,000 from each to buy milch cows.
However, before the dairy business could begin properly, disaster struck. The cows he bought died, and his crops also failed. With no income and growing pressure from lenders, his situation quickly worsened.
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Debt grows due to illegal interest
According to Kude, the moneylenders charged extremely high and illegal interest, local media reports said. He said they demanded daily interest of up to Rs 10,000 and added fines when he failed to pay on time. Because of this, the original Rs 1 lakh loan kept growing.
Over time, the total amount demanded reached Rs 74 lakh. Kude said that even after he tried everything to repay the loan, the moneylenders refused to reduce the amount or stop adding interest.
Family pushed to breaking point
Kude said the moneylenders began visiting his home regularly and harassing him and his family. In desperation, he sold two acres of his farmland. He also sold his tractor, two two-wheelers and family gold. He borrowed money from relatives and friends.
Despite all this, the lenders continued to demand more money. “I sold my land, tractor, vehicles and gold, but it was still not enough,” Kude said. “They kept increasing the amount.”
Another loan makes matters worse
Kude also claimed that the lenders sent him to a man named Lakshman Urkude to arrange more money. This person allegedly charged 40 per cent interest for just 20 days, pushing Kude deeper into debt instead of helping him, according to a report by India Today.
When Kude still failed to clear the dues, one of the moneylenders allegedly suggested that he sell one of his kidneys to settle the amount.
Kidney sold after surgery abroad
Left with no options, Kude agreed. He said he was first taken to Kolkata for medical tests. Later, through an agent, he was sent to Cambodia, where his kidney was removed. He claims he was paid Rs 8 lakh for the organ, which he used to repay part of the debt.
Organ trade is illegal in India, and selling organs abroad through agents raises serious concerns about human trafficking and organised crime.
Kude said he has been approaching authorities for the past four months but has not yet received justice. He is demanding a full investigation into the moneylenders, the agent who arranged the kidney sale, and the hospital or location in Cambodia where the surgery took place.
His case has raised serious questions about illegal moneylending, farmer distress and the failure to protect vulnerable people from extreme exploitation.
