Farmers protest after banker, peon seek sexual favours in exchange for crop loan sanction

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana staged a protest in front of the Datala branch of Central Bank of India on Saturday after the bank manager and his peon allegedly demanded sexual favours from the wife of a farmer, who had applied for a crop loan.

While the bank was closed, the protestors broke the bank’s board and painted its wall black. Later on, police arrested few workers of the party. The Maharashtra Police booked a case against the bank manager and the peon, who were later reportedly arrested from Amravati district.

Rajesh Hivase, an official in the Datala branch, and the peon, Manoj Chavan, have been booked under Section 354 of the IPC and various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to the police, when the crop loan proposal was submitted, the bank manager asked the farmer his contact number so as to clear doubts, if any, during scrutiny.

Rajesh Hivase, an official in the Datala branch, and the peon, Manoj Chavan, have been arrested under Section 354 of the IPC and various sections of the SC / ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

The farmer gave his wife’s contact number. The bank manager, who made a call to the farmer’s wife, however, spoke in obscene and lewd language and demanded sexual favours in return for clearing the loan request.

“The manager, through his aide, even told the farmer’s spouse that if his desire is fulfilled, not just the pending crop loan request, he will also offer her another loan package. However, the woman recorded the phone call of the manager and submitted the recording to Malkapur Police station in Buldhana. They had also registered the police complaint against bank manager and peon,” said BR Gavande, Inspector, Malakapur police station.