A 35-year-old man identified as BJP worker Vinay Somaiah from Karnataka's Madikeri allegedly died by suicide late on Thursday night. He has named several Congress leaders in his death note and accused them of harassing him.

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Multiple reports have quoted police officials and said that the BJP worker's body was found hanging at his office in Nagawara, shortly after he posted a lengthy suicide note on WhatsApp and Facebook.

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What he wrote in his death note?

In his letter, he alleged that a politically motivated FIR had been filed against him by local Congress leaders over a derogatory post on a WhatsApp group of which he was the admin. He accused Congress leader Tenneera Maheena of circulating the details of the case, including his photo, to defame him. He revealed that he was arrested but even after securing bail, he was allegedly harassed by the Madikeri Town Police at the behest of AS Ponnanna, Congress MLA and legal advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

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As per reports, he accepted that he forwarded a voice message and its screenshot.

“Yes, I sent messages, but only to forward a voice message I had received, along with its screenshot. Why was an FIR filed against me based on a random photo but not for that voice message? Where is the justice?” he asked. 

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He thanked the BJP leaders and appealed to people to support his family. “Please support my family in every way possible, socially and financially. Even if every member contributes just one rupee, it will help secure my wife and daughter’s future. Please ensure that my mother, wife, daughter, and family are not harassed after my death and that all rituals are conducted smoothly,” he wrote.

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Advocate Nishanth Kushalappa, representing BJP worker Somaiah spoke to news agency IANS and said, "...This harassment had been ongoing for the past two months. Vinay was deeply upset—not because of any wrongdoing on his part, but simply because he had created a platform for the people of Kodagu to express their concerns. He was targeted because the group included criticism of MLAs and the lack of development. Under this pressure, he ultimately succumbed."

(With inputs from agencies)