Rajamahendravaram (Andhra Pradesh): "Isn't my birthday? Did mommy and daddy go to get the cake?", asks a two-year-old girl. "No, sister. Mom and dad went to God. They will come later," replies the elder one, who is four years and struggles hard to make her sister realise their parents have gone to a place from where they will never return.
In a vicious stroke of fate, Tejaswi Nagasai and her little sister Likhita Sree were orphaned four days ago when their parents, Kolli Durga Rao and Ramya Lakshmi, ended their lives in a hotel in Rajamahendravaram. The future of the two sisters was thrown into jeopardy as both their father and mother died by suicide following extortion and harassment by online loan sharks. Durga Rao hailed from Labbarti village in Rajavommangi mandal of Alluri Sitaramaraju district in Andhra Pradesh.
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Trouble started in the otherwise comfortable life of Durga Rao after he took loans from online loan apps due to sudden financial difficulties. The loan app operators harassed the couple over delayed repayments. They morphed pictures of the woman using obscene images and threatened to circulate them on social media. Those pics were sent to the couple on WhatsApp. Left with no choice, unable to meet the demands of loan sharks, Durga Rao, along with his wife took the extreme step.
The relatives of the couple blamed online loan apps for the untimely death of Durga Rao and his wife. In their investigation, the police found that Kolli Durga Rao shifted from his village to Rajamahendravaram for livelihood nearly 10 years ago. He married Ramya Lakshmi six years ago. They started residing at Shantinagar in the city. Durga Rao earned his livelihood as a painter while his wife worked as a tailor to support the family.
Their financial difficulties forced them to take loans from two online loan apps. As they could not repay within the stipulated time, the harassment started from app operators. Unable to withstand their threats, some amount of cash was paid. The loan app admins warned that they have to pay more, otherwise they will morph Ramya Lakshmi's photos in obscene ways and post them on social media.
To meet the demands of loan apps, Durga Rao took up additional work as an online delivery boy. But he was shocked when loan app managers morphed Ramya Lakshmi's photo with an obscene image and threatened them on WhatsApp. If the full loan with interest is not paid within two days, they warned that they will make and circulate an obscene video.
On September 5, the couple visited one of their relatives' house in Rajamahendravaram. Along with their relatives, they went and attended a one-day programme held in Mogalthur of West Godavari district. They returned to the city the same evening. Then, Durga Rao and his wife left their relatives' place and rented a room in a lodge on the Godavari embankment of the city.
The couple called their close relative Rajesh at 12:30 midnight that day, but cut the call after saying they were dying by suicide. They asked him to take care of their children. Relatives reached the lodge and found the bodies of Durga Rao and his wife, lying in the room with a poison bottle by their side. They were immediately shifted to the Rajamahendravaram Government Hospital where they died while undergoing treatment. Rajamahendravaram II town police registered a case and are investigating.
