Indian Man 'Mortgages' Wife for Loan of $453

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Thursday, November 19, 2015

Theresa Kerketa, a 45 year old, poses for a picture at her residence on the outskirts of New Delhi in this 2012 file photo. Kerketa was rescued by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), a charity which rescues victims of bonded labour. There are no reliable figures for how many people are trafficked for domestic servitude. The Indian government says 126,321 trafficked children were rescued from domestic work in 2011/12, a rise of almost 27 percent from the previous year. Activists say if you include women over 18 years, the figure could run into the hundreds of thousands. | (Photo: Reuters/Mansi Thapliyal)

Police officials in Yamunanagar, India, have revealed that a migrant from Bihar "mortgaged" his wife off to a friend in exchange for 30,000 rupees and later killed the lender for refusing to let his wife go after the money had been paid back.

The Times of India reports that upon trying to solve the mystery behind the death of 35-year-old quiltmaker Mohammad Golam, officers in Yamunanagar discovered that Golam had loaned a friend named Sabir Ali 30,000 Indian Rupees, the equivalent of $453, this past January.

The officers realized that this was no ordinary loan when it came to light Monday that Ali had offered his wife, Salma, to Golam as collateral for the loan.

From January on, Salma stayed with Golam at his house and prepared meals for him. Later in March, the two traveled to Golam's native village in Bihar and to places throughout the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and did not return to Yamunanagar until September.

A woman carrying a metal container walks past camel herders waiting for customers at Pushkar Fair in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan, November 23, 2012. Many international and domestic tourists throng to Pushkar to witness one of the most colourful and popular fairs in India. Thousands of animals, mainly camels, are brought to the fair to be sold and traded. | (Photo: Reuters/Danish Siddiqui)

In a confession to police, Ali explained that he repaid Golam his 30,000 rupees over three months ago. His wife, however, was still being forced by Golam to stay at his house.

Ali admitted to authorities he and Salma conspired to kill Golam after Golam continued to refuse to let her go and even tried to charge Ali an extra 20,000 Indian rupees in interest.

Police have indicated that Golam was strangled and then bludgeoned to death on Oct. 31 by Ali and two of his buddies named Akhtar and Gaurav.

"According to Sabir's confession, the dispute began when he went to Golam to get his wife released after repayment of Rs 30,000, three months ago. But Golam sought Rs 20,000 more as interest. Sabir claims he even paid this additional amount on Oct. 31, but Golam refused to let Salma go," police deputy superintendent Rajinder Kumar, who is leading the investigation in the case, told TOI. "Following this he, along with his wife, hatched the conspiracy to kill Golam."

Inspector Sandeep Kumar told TOI that Ali, Salma and Akhtar have been arrested, while authorities are still searching for Gaurav.

"We have verified the facts in the case," Kumar explained. "During the loan period, Sabir never lodged any complaint with the police. He, too, had been traveling to various cities for work. He even took his three children — between the age group of 4 to 7 years old — with him. Salma, too, conspired. She helped her husband and other co-accused by making Golam get out of the house."