A 47-year-old man who died by suicide in Bengaluru has named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Arvind Limbavali, among others, in his suicide note as the people responsible for his death. Pradeep S died by suicide at Nettigere on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday, January 1. In a suicide note, Pradeep alleged that Arvind Limbavali had intervened in a financial dispute but later refused to help him recover money he had invested and lost.
Pradeep, a resident of Ambalipura in Bengaluru, was at a resort in Nettigere with his relatives for a New Year party. According to the police, Pradeep left the resort on Sunday morning saying he was going to Sira, but returned to his home in Ambalipura. He later returned to the resort and died by suicide inside his car on Sunday evening, as his relatives were leaving Nettigere to return to the city.
According to the suicide note, Pradeep had invested Rs 1.5 crore in a club in Bengaluru in 2018 after being persuaded by two men, Gopi and Somaiah. The two men had promised to pay him back a sum of Rs 3 lakh every month, including a salary for working for the club, the note said. Pradeep has also named three others – G Ramesh Reddy, Jayaram Reddy and Raghava Bhat – in the note. “I had invested in May 2018 to December, but I did not get any single rupee from them. I had to sell my house and one site in Mysore to meet my expenses and repay loans (sic),” Pradeep wrote in the note.
In the same note, he mentioned that after requesting Arvind Limbavali to talk to Gopi and Somaiah, he received Rs 10 lakh every month for nine months before he was asked to forego the rest of the money. He alleged that Limbavali chose to support Gopi and Somaiah.
Meanwhile, Arvind Limbavali has tried to distance himself from the incident. "I’ve learnt that I’ve been named in the note. He (Pradeep) used to handle my social media between 2010 and 2013. He had brought a business dispute of his to my notice and I asked him and his partners to resolve it amicably. I didn’t even ask how much he had invested or make any suggestion to the partners about how much they needed to pay. Later, he (Pradeep) came and thanked me. I am not aware why he died by suicide or why I have been named in the note,” he told The Times of India.
Earlier in May 2022, police had registered a case against Pradeep for allegedly assaulting his wife Namitha. An FIR registered at the Bellandur police station, based on a complaint filed by his wife, stated that Pradeep slapped Namitha and abused her over an argument that broke out between the two. In the complaint, Namitha had said that Pradeep abused her and threatened to shoot her with a pistol.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.