A family in Alakhanur village of Rayabaga taluk has allegedly been left homeless after Equitas Small Finance Company seized their house over a loan default. The house was locked over non-repayment of a loan taken for medical treatment, forcing five family members, including a three-month-old infant, to spend the night outside without food or rest.
Hanumant Patil had mortgaged his house and taken a loan of about ₹20 lakh for his father Shrikant Patil’s heart surgery. Following his father’s death last year, Hanumant reportedly struggled to continue repayments due to health issues and has been unable to pay instalments for the past seven months. The outstanding amount is said to be around ₹7 lakh.
According to the family, staff from the Chikkodi branch of the finance company arrived and seized the house, allegedly not allowing them to remove clothes, bedding or utensils before locking the premises. At the time, only women and children were present in the house. The action was reportedly taken after presenting a court notice.
Hanumant’s wife, Sridevi, said the three-month-old baby spent the entire night on the street. Another infant in the family reportedly fell ill after going without food and was admitted to hospital. The family also said their cow remained unfed overnight.
Hanumant stated that he had been paying instalments for the past four years but defaulted recently due to health problems. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Harugeri police station. The family has appealed for more time to clear the dues.
