A 35-year-old man reportedly died by suicide in his office in Bengaluru's Nagawara area on Friday. In is his suicide note, he alleged that a politically motivated FIR, orchestrated by a local Congress leader, forced him to take the extreme step.
According to a report by NDTV, the man, Vinay Somaiah, has been identified as an BJP functionary who accused Congress leader Tenneera Maheena, MLA AS Ponnanna, and others of harassment and false implication in a case.
What Did The Bengauru Man Allege?
According to the NDTV report, Vinay who hails from Somwarpet in Karnataka's Kodagu district, was an administrator of the WhatsApp group "Kodagina Samasyegalu" where a controversial post against Congress MLA and legal advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AS Ponnanna, had been shared.
It has been reported that the post contained an edited image of Ponnanna in traditional Kodava attire accompanied by derogatory text which led to the FIR was against the person who posted the image and the admins of the group, including Vinay.
As matters further escalated, Vinay was arrested and later released on bail. However, despite securing a court stay on the case, Vinay allegedly continued to face harassment from the police and political figures.
"For the past two months, I have not been in control of my mind. One person posted a WhatsApp message in the 'Kodagu Problems and Suggestions' WhatsApp group. I, who was made an admin just five days before, was held responsible for it. A politically motivated FIR was filed against me, and I was labeled a miscreant in society. Tenneera Maheena, who played with my life out of political hatred, is directly responsible for my death," Vinay wrote in his suicide letter, as per NDTV.
"Tenneera Maheena is the root cause of all this. Politically motivated individuals are sharing his article on social media and defaming us, even after the High Court granted bail and a stay on the FIR. How fair is it to keep calling us criminals even after that? I've heard from some sources that there's even a plan to open a rowdy sheet on me", he said.
Vinay's letter reportedly ended with him urging the the Karnataka BJP unit to help his mother, wife and daughter "socially and financially". Taking cognisance of the matter, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has promised a DCP-level probe into the matter.
