Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh): A tribal couple five-year struggle to reclaim mortgaged silver ended after intervention by district collector Dr Abhay Arvind Bedekar.
The couple, identified as Shayari and Guljia of Agoni village, Alirajpur, who had pledged 3 kg of silver to borrow Rs 60,000 for farming, had repaid Rs 1.6 lakh to money lender Prashant Vani. Despite full repayment, the silver was never returned and Vani repeatedly delayed the return.
After exhausting local remedies and facing threats from Vani, the couple sought help from village leaders and social worker Nitesh Alawa.
Alawa, along with sarpanch Nansingh Kanesh, brought the issue to the collector office. The collector, recognising the severity of the situation, coordinated with the SP to address the matter urgently.
.jpg)
The SP directed the police to file an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, after reviewing evidence, including audio and video recordings. This led to immediate action, with police instructed to recover the silver and ensure justice.
The case highlights the vulnerability of illiterate tribal communities to exploitation and the significant role of administrative intervention in securing their rights.
