Indian billionaire M.A. Yusuff Ali, chairman and managing director of LuLu Group International, is yet again in the news for the right reasons. He has cleared an outstanding loan for a single mother from Ernakulam district in Kerala.

Sandhya and her children landed on the streets when they were locked out of their home by a private financial institution to which they owed Rs8 lakh. It was in 2019 when Sandhya and her husband borrowed Rs4 lakh for building a house from Manappuram Finance. The house came up but Sandhya’s husband abandoned her and the children in 2021. Though Sandhya was employed, her Rs9,000 monthly income was not enough to repay the loan. In about two years, the overdue amount including interest had shot up to Rs8 lakh. On her return from work one day, she saw the lock on the front door to her house replaced by the finance company. It is reported that Sandhya and her children were not allowed to get in to take their belongings.

This incident was brought to the notice of Yusuff Ali, who directed his team to close Sandhya’s loan fully and open a fixed deposit in her name for Rs10 lakh. The keys to her home were also returned to her.

What could have turned into an incident of sadness and shame was averted, thanks to the timely intervention of one good samaritan. – editor@nrifocus.com