BENGALURU: Tension gripped Soladevanahalli near Nelamangala on Thursday after people staged a protest over a 45-year-old man allegedly committing suicide due to his arrack addiction. The protesters, kin of the deceased, gathered around a woman’s house, who they claim was involved in illegally selling arrack. They demanded that the business be shut down.
The deceased is Rajanna, a farmer, who has left a wife Gouramma and two daughters behind.
A senior police officer said that the family of the deceased alleged that Vijayamma along with her sons Ranjitha and Narasimha have been selling local liquor to the villagers.
They have a petty shop next to the Gram Panchayat too, and officials from the excise department have bothered to shut their business down. Soon after the incident came to light, Vijayamma and her family ran away. Some bottles have been seized from the shop, and a case has been registered against them with Nelamangala Rural police.
Speaking to TNIE, Siddaraju, in-law of the deceased, said that Rajanna had been addicted to alcohol for the past few months, and had even sold a calf for Rs 15,000 to ensure the arrack reaches him regularly.
He was depressed due to his addiction, which is why he took the extreme step at home at around 11.30pm by hanging himself. The body was kept in front Vijayamma’s house for a day, after which police convinced the family to stop the agitation.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in emotional distress, help is available. You can get in touch with the SAHAI helpline at 080-25497777, open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 10pm, and 104 Arogya Sahayavani, available 24/7.