‘Terrible tragedy’: Anand Mahindra on pregnant woman run over by Mahindra Finance loan recovery agent

Mahindra Group chairperson Anand Mahindra.

Mahindra Group Chairperson Anand Mahindra has responded to the Hazaribagh incident in which a pregnant woman was crushed to death allegedly by a loan recovery agent working on behalf of Mahindra finance.

The incident took place in the Jharkhand district on September 15, Thursday. The 27-year-old woman was trying to stop a loan recovery agent from seizing her father's tractor over loan dues.

The woman's father, a farmer, had borrowed Rs 1.3 lakh from Mahindra Finance to buy a tractor, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police. On Thursday, he received a message on his phone in which Mahindra Finance asked him to pay his dues. He was also told his tractor will be seized if he did not pay the amount back, PTI reported.

The man's tractor was parked at a petrol pump and he rushed to the spot to find a loan recovery agent driving away with it. He ran after it, saying he would pay off Rs 1.2 lakh but the agent ignored his pleas. His pregnant daughter, who tried to intervene, was crushed under the tractor's wheels.

Anand Mahindra took to Twitter to express sadness over the incident.

"This is a terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to the family in this time of grief," he tweeted.

This is a terrible tragedy. I strongly support @anishshah21's statement. Our hearts go out to the family in this time of grief. https://t.co/FxYejx59im

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 16, 2022

Anish Shah, managing director and chief executive officer of Mahindra Group , said the company will review the practice of "using third-party collection agencies that have been in existence".

“We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the Hazaribagh incident. A human tragedy has occurred. We will investigate this incident from all aspects," Shah added.

Meanwhile, the police filed a murder case against the loan recovery agent and a manager of the private lender.

(With inputs from PTI)