Chicken for loan? Man claims bank manager scammed him, ate 'desi murga' worth Rs 38000

In the quiet town of Masturi in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district, a farmer’s pursuit of a dream turned into a bizarre tale of exploitation. Rupchand Manhar, eager to expand his poultry business, approached the local State Bank of India (SBI) branch for a loan of ₹12 lakh. Little did he know, his hopes would be crushed not by rejection but by deceit.

The bank manager, it seems, had a taste for country chicken — and an appetite for manipulation. According to Manhar, the manager demanded a 10% commission upfront to process the loan. Desperate to secure funding, the farmer sold chickens to meet this demand. But the ordeal didn’t end there. The manager allegedly began insisting on weekly supplies of desi chicken, racking up a staggering bill of ₹38,900 over two months — all while making no progress on the loan approval.

Manhar, who sourced the chickens from a nearby village, claims to have retained receipts for every purchase. However, the mounting expenses and empty promises led him to a grim realization: the manager had no intention of approving his loan. Frustrated and financially drained, Manhar decided to take action.

He lodged a formal complaint with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), demanding reimbursement for the money spent on the manager’s extravagant chicken feasts and accountability for the official’s misconduct. In a desperate plea for justice, Manhar warned he would resort to extreme measures, including a hunger strike and even self-immolation outside the SBI branch, if his grievances were not addressed.

This unsettling story highlights the exploitation that vulnerable individuals can face in their pursuit of a better future — a sobering reminder of the power dynamics at play in rural lending practices.