Manila/Faridkot: A woman from Faridkot in Punjab, who was reportedly involved in the finance and money lending business in the Philippines, was shot dead in Manila, Philippines, while she was out in the field collecting payment instalments (collections) from clients on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Sukhbir Kaur, was living in Manila with her family to run a finance business. According to authorities, unidentified assailants opened fire, killing her on the spot, as reported by The Tribune.
Her husband, Iqbal Singh, was away to his native village, Ghaniawala in Faridkot. The victim was managing the business operations in his absence.
An investigation has been launched into the shooting. Her family in Faridkot is in a state of shock and has appealed to the Indian government for assistance in bringing the body back to her native village for the final rites.
According to the report, a significant number of individuals from Punjab’s Malwa belt, including Faridkot, Moga and Bathinda, have migrated to the Philippines over the years to engage in the “micro-finance” lending business.
Though profitable, this profession has become increasingly dangerous. Reports from the Philippines indicate that Indian financiers are frequently targeted by criminal gangs or disgruntled borrowers.
There are thousands of Indians, a large number of them Punjabi, settled in Manila, Cebu and Davao towns of the Philippines.
Many of them are from the prosperous middle and higher class with their main occupations in clothing sales and marketing. Those concentrated around capital Manila are involved largely in finance, sales and marketing.
