'Sorry, mom and dad...': 22-year-old student dies by suicide in Bengaluru after being threatened by Chinese loan apps

On Tuesday, a 22-year-old engineering student allegedly died by suicide after he was unable to pay back the loan he took from an online Chinese mobile application providing loans in Karnataka. The deceased identified as Tejas Nair was allegedly tortured by the executive from the Chinese mobile application after he failed to pay back the loan amount.

Tejas borrowed money more than once from the lender, and he also took some from his friend Mahesh but failed to pay EMIs.

Tejas was studying mechanical engineering at Nitte Meenakshi College in Yelahanka, Bengaluru.

According to Tejas's father, Gopinath Nair, he first borrowed money from his cousins, and to pay them back, he took loans from the online apps. 

"Tejas had borrowed money from loan apps and given it to his friend. He had borrowed Rs 30,000. Including interest and late fee charges, he had to pay back around Rs 45,000,” Tejas' father said.

The agents from the app allegedly started to blackmail and threatened to expose the student's intimate photographs stored on his mobile phone if he failed to repay the loan.

“They blackmailed my son, saying they will release nude pictures of him to the family and also had sent a few of his pictures to family members, which they used to delete immediately. I also requested them that the money will be paid, but they tortured him repeatedly by calling him on Tuesday and at 6.20 pm, he committed suicide. We have lost our son,” Gopinath told Republic World.

After this incident, Tejas' parents filed a police complaint at Jalahalli police station.

According to the police complaint, Tejas's family said that Tejas borrowed some money in the form of a loan from the 'Slice and Kiss' Chinese app. However, he was unable to pay back the loan amount.

A suicide note was found after Tejas passed away; the letter reads, “Sorry, mom and dad for whatever I did but I have no other choice other than this. I am unable to pay other loans that are there in my name and this is my final decision. Good bye…"