9 hours Ago By Express News Service
BENGALURU: A 40-year-old BJP worker, who was earlier arrested by Madikeri police for derogatory posts against Virajpet Congress MLA and CM’s legal advisor AS Ponnanna in a WhatsApp group of which he was the admin, died by suicide at his office in HBR Layout, 5th Block, on Friday morning.The deceased,Vinay KS, alias Vinay Somayya, was a resident of Electronics City and a native of Madikeri. He was reportedly distressed over an FIR filed against him over the derogatory posts and died by suicide at his office around 4.
30 am.Vinay worked as an operation manager with a private firm. His wife, Shobitha is a software engineer.
He is suspected to have taken the extreme step shortly after posting a death note on WhatsApp and Facebook. “My death should serve as a lesson for those filing politically motivated FIRs,” Vinay stated in the note.Vinay named Congress worker Thennira Maheena in his note and held him responsible for his death.
He also named Ponnanna and Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda in the note.Vinay’s brother KS Jeevan, in his complaint with Hennur police, alleged that torture and harassment by Maheena, Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda drove Vinay to take the extreme step. However, in the FIR registered by Hennur police, names of the MLAs have not been mentioned.
Maheena and others have been named as accused.Leader of Opposition in Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy took strong exception to the police not naming the two MLAs as accused in the FIR. LoP in Assembly R Ashoka alleged that police stations have become Congress’ offices.
Despite stay order on FIR, he was harassed: Brother“Action must be taken against those responsible for Vinay’s suicide and a proper investigation conducted. The Kodagu superintendent of police should be suspended. We have filed complaints against Maheena and the two MLAs,” Ashoka said.
In the complaint, Jeevan stated that in February, Vinay informed him that a false complaint was filed against him by Maheena for solely being the group admin of “Kodagina Samasyegalu Mattu Parihara”. “The FIR was stayed by the high court. In spite of the stay order, my brother was harassed by the two MLAs and their supporters,” Jeevan alleged.
A case of abetment to suicide (BNS 108), criminal intimidation (BNS 351(2)) and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace (BNS 352) has been registered by Hennur police. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said an officer of the rank of DCP will conduct a probe.‘FIR for photo posted by someone else’“Before registering a complaint, the police should verify whether it is valid.
Please share my message on social media so that it may help end the trend of filing FIRs against innocent people. I have nothing to say to my family — I don’t know how to express it to them,” Vinay said in his note.“Even after getting bail, policemen went to my friend’s house and interrogated him.
This was done on the orders of Virajpet MLA Ponnanna. They filed the FIR against us over a photo posted by someone else. There’s even a plan to open a rowdy sheet against us.
I will get justice if proper punishment is given to those responsible,” he said.(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.
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