Debt drives builder to suicide

Decomposed body found in lodge room 4 days after his death

A City-based builder, who had gone missing four days ago, was found hanging in the room of a lodge where he had checked in, in the early hours of Wednesday. The body was in a highly decomposed state.

B V Ramamurthy, 47, a resident of Eshwari Nagar, Kadirenahalli Cross, was running a construction business and the Mookambika Infotech company in Kumaraswamy Layout. Ramamurthy is survived by his wife Shyamala and two sons – Abhijit Rao, 22, pursuing his final year engineering and Aditya Rao, pursuing a degree course.

Police suspect that Ramamurthy had suffered huge losses in business and was deep in debt. This may have led him to end his life, they said.

Ramamurthy never returned home from work on  September 7 (Saturday) and his wife lodged a missing complaint with the Kumaraswamy Layout police the next day.

A senior official in the Kumaraswamy Layout police station said that the victim’s mobile phone was switched off since the evening of September 7. The tower location of the mobile phone before it was switched off was Basavanagudi. For three days, the police searched for him in the area, but to no avail.

The breakthrough came from one of his employees. Manohar, a manager with the firm, told the police that Ramamurthy frequented the Sayonara restaurant and lodge at Netkallappa Circle.

Inspection refused

Manohar, accompanied by a constable, visited the lodge on Tuesday night. Authorities there confirmed that Ramamurthy had checked into the hotel on  September 7, but refused to allow the inspection of his room. The Basavanagudi police were informed of the incident in the wee hours of Wednesday. They came to the spot and got the room door opened with the master key, only to find the businessman’s body.

Police suspect that he committed suicide on September 7 itself. Surprisingly, the hotel staff did not suspect anything amiss even though the occupant of the room had not come out or asked for food for four days. The room being air-conditioned, the foul air was trapped inside, police said.

Ramamurthy has left a death note in which he has asked his wife to look after his sons well.

Sought apology

He has also jotted down the mobile numbers of four of his employees, seeking apology for his action. An autopsy on the body was performed at KIMS Hospital. The Basavanagudi police have registered a case of unnatural death.