Kerala man goes missing after Argentina’s World Cup loss

Search on for Dinu Alex, ardent Messi fan from Kottayam

June 22, 2018 08:40 pm | Updated June 23, 2018 12:06 pm IST - KOTTAYAM

Search on for Dinu Alex

Search on for Dinu Alex

Search is on for a die-hard Lionel Messi fan who penned down a suicide note and walked out of his house here, after Croatia defeated Argentina in the FIFA World Cup on Thursday night.

Dinu Alex, 30, was last seen by his mother after 12.30 a.m. on Friday when she asked her son, who was glued to the TV, to go to bed as he had to go to work the next day.

In the morning, she found Dinu’s bed empty and the door on the side of the kitchen open. She woke up her husband, a farmer, when she found a note in Dinu’s room. It read: “I have nothing left in this world to view further. I am going into the depths of death. No one else is responsible for my death.”

Sniffer dog’s guidance

They informed the police and a search by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel began in earnest after Jill, the sniffer dog, ran from the kitchen door to the banks of the Meenachil river which borders Dinu’s residence. The river is in spate and search was on at the time of filing the report.

Relatives and friends have only one thing to talk about Dinu: a soft spoken person, he was a hardened Argentina fan. “He is more of a Messi fan than that of Argentina,” said E.K. Sumesh, his colleague at the food outlet where Dinu has been working as an accountant.

For the perfect jersey

“Last Friday we went around the town to buy a Messi jersey for Dinu. We got drenched in the rain as he hopped from one shop to another in search of the perfect jersey. Some had the number, but not the name (of Messi) and some others had the name but no number. At last when he got the one he searched for, he wore it at the shop itself and took a selfie. Messi was his God,” said Mr. Sumesh.

The friends used to call each other during the World Cup matches. “When I called him after the game, his mobile was switched off,” said Mr. Sumesh. They had parted after the day’s work by 7 p.m. “I still don’t believe the worst would happen. He was a brilliant fellow and was already on the PSC rank list.”

However, Joyce, a cousin and a panchayat member reveals another side of Dinu’s character. “He was an introvert and communicated with a very small circle of friends,” he said.

“Today we found a number of notes he had written. One of them read: ‘Waiting for you to lift the cup.’ There was another, and more ominous: ‘My team is leaving, carrying my life.’ We never knew Dinu was such an ardent fan of Messi,” Mr. Joyce said.

Psychiatrist’s take

According to Roy Abraham Kaillivayalil, psychiatrist, Dinu’s was a clear case of hero worship that had gone awry and turned into a case of identification with his hero. “His hero’s defeat is his own defeat which he may find difficult to overcome.”

Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling Maithri 's helpline at 04842540530

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.