Dr Kailkere Mohandas Bhandary was found dead in the well at his residence at Alake-Padil in Mangalore on Wednesday. He was 64. It is not clear whether he committed suicide or accidentally fell in the well.

A renowned family doctor with a career spanning about four decades, he was the Founder President of Family Doctors Association (Mangalore) and had also served as the President of IMA Mangalore branch. During his term as IMA President in 2010, he had hosted IMA Medicon state level conference in the city.

A member of national-level Central Working Committee (CWC) of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Bhandary was also serving as the Vice President of Karnataka state IMA and a member of the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) representing Non Teachers Constituency.

Born on February 1, 1949 at Kundapur, Dr Kailkere Mohandas Bhandary studied his MBBS at Mysore Medical College. He started his career, establishing Bhandary Clinic and Nursing Home at Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, which he ran from 1974 -1978. Later, he shifted to Mangalore to set up Bhandary Clinic and Clinical Lab at City Market Shopping Complex at Market Road.

He was also the District Vice President of Dakshina Kannada Cricket Association (DKCA) and Chairman of Cricket Stadium Committee. He was the Founder President of Tulu Aisiri, Mangalore, an organisation dedicated to Tulu language and culture; Working Committee Member of BJP National Medical Wing and Past President of Rotary Club of Gundlupet and Rotary Club Mangalore Central, he was Chairman for Free Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery for the year 2010-2011in RI District 3180.

He was District Vice Chairman of Indian Red Cross during 2010-2012 and has conducted more than 50 free medical camps in the districts of Mysore, Chamarajnagar, Hassan, Mercara, Shimoga, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi benefiting over one lakh people.Dr Bhandary is survived by his wife Lalitha and three sons Dr Nithish M Bhandary, Associate Professor of Medicine, AJMIDS and Secretary of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mangalore Branch; Dr Nishan M Bhandary, MRCP, Consultant Psychiatrist, UK and Nischith M Bhandary, BE, Team Leader at Accenture, Bangalore and a granddaughter, Sana. The funeral is expected to be performed after the arrival of his son from United Kingdom on Thursday.