Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 65-year-old hotel owner allegedly died by suicide at his eatery in this district on Tuesday morning owing to severe financial distress, police said.
The deceased was identified as Ramachandra Shankar Halluri, a resident of Hukkeri town. He had been running 'Hanuman Hotel' near the old bus stand for the past 16 years, they said.
According to police, Halluri had been grappling with sustained business losses over the past four to five years, which had significantly strained his financial condition. It is being learnt that he was under a debt burden of approximately Rs 11 lakh, and was reportedly finding it increasingly difficult to meet routine expenses, including rent and loan repayments.
On Tuesday morning, Halluri is said to have opened his hotel as usual around 6 am. However, he was later found hanging inside the premises.
Police personnel from Hukkeri Police Station rushed to the spot upon receiving information, conducted a preliminary inspection, and shifted the body for post-mortem examination.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the primary reason for the suicide was the financial burden arising from loans taken for the hotel business, a senior police officer said.
The police denied rumours that the suicide was due to disruption in gas cylinder supply affecting the hotel business.
"A filled gas cylinder was available at the hotel and was verified to be functional. It has been confirmed that financial stress due to inability to repay debts was the direct cause," the officer said.
Ruling out suspicion of any foul play, police said neither the family members nor others have expressed any suspicion regarding the death.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Mandi (HP) (PTI): Three people were killed and two others sustained grievous injuries after a speeding car dashed against a stationary truck at Dadour near Nerchowk in Mandi district on Monday late at night, police said on Tuesday.
There were five people in the car when the tragedy struck. Three were declared dead in the hospital while two have been referred to AIIMS Bilaspur.
The deceased were identified as Anil Kumar (28), Rohit Kumar (26) and Subash Kumar (23), all residents of Mandi district, while the injured are Harish and Pankaj.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and investigations are underway, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi Vinod Kumar.
He added that the bodies have been handed over to the family members of the deceased.
In a statement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over the loss of three lives in a road accident. He directed the district administration to ensure best possible treatment for the injured and wished them a speedy recovery.
