Woman jumps in Tungabhadra river in suicide bid, rescued after getting caught in partly submerged bush

HAVERI: Upset over constant harassment by moneylenders, a woman jumped into the Tungabhadra river in an apparent suicide bid on Wednesday night, but got caught in a partly submerged bush. After spending the night in the water, she was rescued on Thursday.

Roopa Ambali (40) is a resident of Rattihalli in Haveri district and her husband, is a contractor. She had reportedly got into a financial mess having taken loans off up to Rs 2 crore. Unable to bear the constant harassment by moneylender, she had left home some time ago, Roopa told the police.

On Thursday morning, Roopa called out for help when a farmer from Kotihala in Ranebennur taluk was heading to his fields. The farmer immediately informed the police who arrived there with the Fire and Emergency Services personnel and rescued her. She was later shifted to the taluk hospital in Ranebennur for treatment.

Haveri Deputy Commissioner Vijay Mahantesh and SP Yashoda Vantagodi supervised the rescue operation. After visiting Roopa in the hospital, the DC said, “She got saved as she got stuck in a bush in the water. She said that she has incurred huge loans and that the lenders were harassing her. In such a case we will take action against them”.

Roopa’s husband Shivu said, “She tried to commit suicide due to constant torture from the lenders Sarojavva Hurakadli, Jetteppa Malagondra, Chennabasanna Kunchoora and others. They have taken weekly interest and we have repaid more than what we had borrowed. Roopa left home three months ago and tried to commit suicide yesterday. She had borrowed about Rs 2 crore and we incurred more loans to pay the weekly interest. We had to even shut down our agarbhatti factory”, he said.