Stressed over recovery of loans, bank manager commits suicide

A branch manager of UCO Bank committed suicide by jumping before a Virar-bound train near Mira Road station on Wednesday. Vilas Dattatray Narsale, 56, who worked at the bank’s Ramdeo Park branch in Bhayender, took the step allegedly because he was under pressure to recover loans he had sanctioned.

“Vilas was under tremendous stress and depression in connection with the loans disbursed by him and their recovery,” said Sudhir Lad, Vilas’s friend and social activist from Ramdeo Park. “Last week, he took me to some customers to recover loans. Four days ago, he told me that he will be forced to commit suicide if the loan recovery is not done on time.”

BM More, motorman of the Virar-bound local, and its guard Alis Khan sent a wireless message to the police that a man died after jumping in front of the train near Mira Road station around 11.55am. The police identified Vilas from the visiting cards on him.

Vilas is survived by wife Aruna and daughters Mrunali (who is in London) and Rama. Aruna told the police that Vilas left home at 7am as usual on Wednesday.  The GRP personnel found a train ticket on Vilas for Churchgate which was purchased before the incident.

“No suicide note was found. We are probing the incident and are verifying his mobile records,” said a police officer on condition of anonymity.