The high drama over the accusation of “exploitation” against the former Minister S.A. Ramdas by a woman took a tragic turn when one of the Minister’s supporters committed suicide in the city on Wednesday.
The victim, Naveen (27) an auto driver and a Bharatiya Janata Party activist, was found hanging at his residence in Kanakagiri in Vidyaranyapuram police station limits. Gopalkrisna, a family member, said Naveen was upset over the accusations against his mentor and leader Mr. Ramdas, who attempted suicide late on Tuesday night.
The woman, a former government employee, who had earlier worked in Mysore and Tumkur, held an impromptu press meet on Tuesday and had sought “justice” after accusing Mr. Ramdas of exploiting her under the pretext of marrying her. The woman had also claimed that she was “unofficially married” to him, saying she had documentary evidence to prove the relationship.
However, Mr. Ramdas had denied the accusations saying it was an attempt to malign his character. Upset over the developments, he reportedly attempted suicide at his guesthouse and was rushed to a private hospital by his family and supporters. His condition is said to be stable.
Naveen, though, was even more upset by the developments and took the extreme step by allegedly committing suicide. He is survived by his mother, Manjula, and two sisters. Police investigating the case said Naveen was brought dead to the JSS Hospital. His body was later shifted to the mortuary for post-mortem.
There was a pall of gloom at the JSS Hospital where Naveen’s immediate family members and city BJP activists had converged in large numbers. V. Somasundaram, general secretary of the city BJP unit, said the media should have been responsible in reporting the allegations, which was nothing short of slandering a person’s character. In the process, an innocent person has lost his life, he said. BJP councillor M. Mahadevamma, who was with the family members, said it was a conspiracy against Mr. Ramdas by his political detractors, which resulted in a youth ending his life. Vidyaranyapuram police have registered a case.
