Tragedy unfolded in Attiguppe, West Bengaluru, as the lifeless body of a 29-year-old boy, D Gautham, son of a former BBMP corporator, was found dead within the family home on a Thursday afternoon.
Source: The Indian Express
On Thursday, around 1.30 pm, K Doddanna, a former Congress party corporator from Attiguppe and the father of the deceased, instructed one of his sons to invite Gautham over for lunch. Despite repeated attempts, including knocking on Gautham’s bedroom door and calling his phone, there was no response. The situation took a grim turn when the family decided to forcibly open the door and were met with a distressing sight: Gautham had tragically hung himself from the ceiling fan. According to Doddanna’s account to the police, it appeared that Gautham had used a plastic chair placed on the cot to reach the ceiling fan, and a sari had been tied around his neck, leading to this tragic incident.
Source: Telegraph India
The ex-corporator revealed that his son had withdrawn into seclusion over the past few days, choosing to remain silent about the issues that were troubling him. Doddanna expressed his complete bewilderment regarding the reasons behind his son’s tragic decision to end his life, and he had no inclination to believe that any malicious intentions were involved.
There were indications from certain sources that Gautham was involved as a contractor with the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) and was awaiting pending payments from the municipal authority.Contrary to certain reports, Gautham’s brother-in-law emphatically refuted the claims. Speaking to the press outside the family residence, he clarified, “He was not involved in any government contracts or projects. Such endeavors were beyond his scope due to his young age. It appears that he was battling inner turmoil. Our efforts were focused on arranging his marriage, and we had explored three potential matches.”
BBMP contractor dies by suicide in Bengaluru. Hangs himself at his Vijayanagar residence last night
Deceased identified as Gautham, son of fmr corporator Doddanna. Police investigating reasons behind death
News comes amid protests by contractors in Karnataka for not being… pic.twitter.com/pFG85Pd7AR
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) August 10, 2023
The brother-in-law strongly criticized the Opposition BJP for attempting to draw connections between the suicide and the ongoing BBMP contractors’ billing controversy. He asserted, “Gautham did not possess a contract license, nor was he owed any dues by the BBMP. He added, “The BJP’s attempts to create confusion in people’s minds. Don’t fall prey to that.”
Gautham’s father & uncle clarify he's not a contractor. He was suffering from depression
Deceased has nothing to do with the ongoing contractor's protest pic.twitter.com/vZQg1ZP1fN
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) August 10, 2023
Gautham’s older sibling, Harish, holds the role of a BBMP contractor and is currently in anticipation of remunerations owed by the municipal authority, as outlined by K T Manjunath, the President of the BBMP Contractors’ Association. Manjunath shared that Harish is actively engaged in a group of contractors who have been engaged in discussions with state government officials and opposition representatives to address the issue of unsettled invoices over recent days. Notably, Gautham’s affiliation is separate, as Manjunath asserted that he was not associated with any BBMP contracting activities.
