Kerala dental student’s death highlights growing threat of predatory loan apps

The death of a young dental student in Kannur has cast a harsh light on the growing menace of predatory loan apps. Despite periodic crackdowns by enforcement authorities, the ecosystem of loan apps continues to evolve, leaving several vulnerable to such exploitation in Kerala.

The deceased, Nithin Raj R.L., a first-year BDS student, had reportedly taken a loan of around ₹14,000 through an online app, following which he is suspected to have been subjected to relentless intimidation. Nithin is suspected to have borrowed the money between December last and January. In the weeks that followed, recovery agents allegedly began to contact him repeatedly.