Dispute Between Bank and Borrower: Protest Committee Blocks Action After House Auction

By Bom Lal Giri, Nawalpur, March 25: The Nawalpur chapter of the Farmers and Workers Struggle Committee against Usury has protested, saying that the Daladale branch of NIC Asia Bank auctioned a house without informing the owner and sold it to another party.

The committee has placed its flag at the house of Nunimaya Gurau in Kawasoti–11, Kudauli, and has urged that the Gurau family continue living there.

According to the Victim, Prem Bahadur Gurau and his wife Nunimaya took a loan of Rs. 2.5 million from the bank eight years ago.

In this term, Gurau said they have already paid about Rs. 4 million in interest, yet the loan remains unsettled.

District chair of the committee, Sarada Poudel stated they have paid Rs. 1.7 million in cash and cleared additional dues by selling a motorcycle through bank staff, yet the principal has not decreased.

Poudel said they asked the bank for loan details and statements, but the bank did not provide them, so the committee now plans to travel to Kathmandu for further action.

In the meantime, Vivek Adhikari, chief of the Daladale branch of NIC Asia Bank said the bank followed all legal procedures and then auctioned the house and sold it to another person.

Adhikari has suggested contacting the loan recovery department for detailed information.

Nunimaya, who has been working in Dubai for the past two years to repay the loan interest said the bank suddenly auctioned the house while she remained in regular contact.

‘’I kept paying the interest regularly, but they sold the house without informing us,” she presented over the telephone.

Four Locks on the Same House

Prakash Kshetri and Srishti Thapa Kshetri from Chitwan, buyers of the house from the bank, have broken the existing lock and placed their own, taking advantage of the owner staying abroad and her husband living elsewhere.

But the protest committee broke that lock and handed a new lock and key back to the Gurau family.

The house carries the Gurau family’s lock at present.

Yubaraj Khadka, Sub- inspector of Police and chief of the District Police Office Nawalpur, said they have not received formal information about the case.

Khadka has suggested the affected family should seek justice through the court.

The dispute now points to rising tension among the bank, the owner, and the new buyer.