Mystery shrouds the death of NRI businessman from Wayanad in Kerala, Arakkal Joy, as latest reports claimed that he committed suicide, while the earlier reports stated that he died due to a heart-attack in Dubai on April 23.
A section of media reported quoting the Dubai police that Joy, who was managing director of Innova Refining and Trading, jumped from the 14th floor of a building in Dubai and that he committed suicide owing to financial problem.
The news came as a shock for the people of Wayanad where Joy had earned much goodwill owing to his social services like donating land and constructing houses for the poor.
MLA of Mananthavady in Wayanad Mr. O R Kelu told DH that it was hard to believe that Joy committed suicide owing to financial problems. "I spoke to his bother Johny, who is in Wayanad, after I came across Joy's death. Johny only said that Joy died after suffering a heart attack," he said.
Kerala Transport Minister A K Saseendran, who is the minister in charge of Wayanad district, said that the government had no official information regarding the cause of death. Owing to the request from the family and others close to Joy, the government only pressed for getting permission to the family to bring Joy's body to his native place by a chartered flight, he said.
Soon after Joy's death, there were reports in a section of media that Joy committed suicide owing to financial problems and he was closely associated with another NRI businessman who is now caught up in a financial cheating allegation. But Joy's family had denied such claims.
Joy received much attention in Kerala over his palatial house in Wayanad. With an area of 45,000 square feet, it is considered to be the largest house in Kerala.