Harassed by neighbors, civic officials, Bengaluru techie dies by suicide
What's the story
A 45-year-old software engineer, Murali Govindaraju, died by suicide at his under-construction house in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Murali was found hanging from an iron hook on the building's second floor. A death note was recovered from the scene, detailing alleged harassment by his neighbors and mentioning pressures related to civic notices and inspections. He was supposed to face officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) the same morning he died.
Extortion claims
Allegations of extortion and harassment detailed in death note
The 10-page death note and a police investigation revealed a long-standing dispute over Murali's house construction. Murali had bought the 40x60 square foot plot in 2018 from a relative of his neighbors, Usha and Shashi Nambiar. Problems started immediately after construction began, with numerous complaints raised about the approved building plan not being followed. His mother's complaint alleged that the Nambiars approached him 10-15 times over the past month and demanded ₹20 lakh to stop filing complaints against him.
Increased pressure
Civic notices and inspections add to Murali's stress
His mother, Lakshmi, claimed that after Murali refused to pay, Usha repeatedly approached BBMP officials, resulting in numerous inspections of the construction site. "When he refused to pay, they, along with some Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) staff, came near my son's building and caused him severe mental harassment. They continued insisting that he must pay ₹20 lakh. He shared his distress with me," read the complaint.
Incident
Shashi and Usha were 'torturing' him
The morning he died, Murali left his house at around 6:00am. He told his family that Shashi and Usha were "torturing" him before departing. "He went to the second floor of the building and, unable to bear the mental torture from Usha Nambiar and Shashi Nambiar and Usha Nambiar's threats, he hanged himself using the iron hook meant for the ceiling fan and died," the complaint read.
Legal action
Police register case, neighbors arrested
Based on the family's complaint, Whitefield Police have registered a case under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 384 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Nambiars have been arrested and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Their son Varun is on the run. Further investigations are underway as authorities look into these serious allegations of harassment and extortion.