Following the brutal attack on a farmer in Thanjavur by officials of a private bank, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Thursday, has sent a notice to the Tamil Nadu Government to file a report.

The officials of a private bank had gone to the residence of the farmer to seize the tractor for which the loan recovery was due. They were accompanied by police. It is said that they brutally attacked the farmer and forcibly took him to a police vehicle.

On the date of the incident, Balan was engaged in farm work when he was forcibly pulled down from the tractor and was brutally beaten by the loan recovery agents and police.

The NHRC, on the basis of a video clip, has observed that such form of forcible recovery amounted to human rights violation. They had also used torture on the farmer. It went on to mention that the NHRC approved the realisation of debt through lawful means but disapproved forcible recovery using torture.

Justice D. Murugesan, Member, NHRC, observed that it was common knowledge that private sector banks and financial institutions used police to brutalise defaulters to recover loan advanced to individuals, particularly farmers.

“The intemperate and immoderate attitude of the bank officials and the involvement of the police for such forcible recovery by torturing farmers and their servants are largely prevalent in different states of the country.”

Accordingly, the Commission had issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Government of Tamil Nadu, asking for reports regarding the matter, within two weeks.