A marginal farmer from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, driven to desperation by an insurmountable debt burden, endured a harrowing sequence of events that saw him sell his own kidney and later become a bonded labourer in a foreign land. The shocking ordeal of Roshan Kule from Minthur village highlights the extreme vulnerabilities created by predatory lending and illegal overseas job rackets.
From Debt Trap to Organ Trade and Bondage
Roshan Kule's nightmare began with a loan of Rs 1 lakh borrowed from private moneylenders. According to his police complaint, this amount ballooned to an astonishing Rs 48.53 lakh due to exorbitant interest rates, which he described as 40% per month, coupled with a daily penalty of Rs 5,000 and compounded calculations. Despite making payments, the lenders allegedly continued to harass him, claiming the dues had now swollen to Rs 74 lakh.
With no respite, Kule took a drastic step in the last week of October 2024. He sold one of his kidneys in Cambodia for Rs 8 lakh, hoping this would clear his debts. The entire amount was reportedly paid to the moneylenders. However, the harassment did not stop, pushing him further into a corner.
Trapped in the Golden Triangle
In a bid to find work and escape the coercion, Kule contacted an overseas job agent online. Following instructions, he travelled to Kolkata and then flew to Bangkok, Vientiane in Laos, and finally to Bokeo city in the Golden Triangle region. Upon joining a company there, he was subjected to exploitative working conditions. When he protested, local agents confiscated his passport and threatened him, stating he would have to work there until he died.
Fearing for his life, Kule managed to make a WhatsApp voice call to Brahmapuri MLA and former Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, Vijay Wadettiwar, pleading for urgent help. Wadettiwar immediately alerted the Indian embassy, shared Kule's location, and pressed for swift intervention.
Rescue and Ongoing Investigations
Following the political and diplomatic efforts, local authorities in Laos reached the workplace, secured Kule's release, and facilitated his return to India. Wadettiwar's office confirmed the rescue of Kule and a few others from Laos.
Back in Chandrapur, police inspector Mummaka Sudharshan confirmed that passport entries verified Kule's travel to Laos, though his full travel history is still being verified. The police have launched a multi-pronged investigation. One line of inquiry focuses on the illegal organ trade, probing how Kule was induced to sell his kidney, who facilitated the procedure in Cambodia, and whether the organ removal actually occurred.
The primary focus, however, remains on dismantling the illegal money lending racket that pushed Kule to such extremes. Police have issued a public appeal, urging other victims of harassment by illegal moneylenders to come forward. In a significant development, five of the six accused moneylenders have been arrested. The arrested individuals are Kishor Bawankule, Laxman Urkude, Pradip Bawankule, Sanjay Ballarpure, and Satyavan Borkar, all residents of Brahmapuri. They were produced before the Brahmapuri JMFC court and remanded in police custody until December 20. A manhunt is underway for the sixth accused, Manish Ghatbandhe, who is currently absconding.
This case exposes a sinister nexus of illegal lending, organ trafficking, and human bondage, raising serious questions about the protection of vulnerable citizens from such multi-layered exploitation.
