Congress leader slashes wrist, ends life inside car

P Nagaraj, former president of the City Congress unit, committed suicide by slashing his right wrist with a blade inside his car in Nazarbad police limits on Thursday.

Nagaraj, 71, was found dead by a passerby around 3 pm in his Santro car parked near a park opposite Siddartha Club in Siddartha Nagar in the city. He was a resident of 8th Cross, Vinaya Marga, in the same locality.

A bloodied blade and a death note with the words ‘Ellarigu Namaskara’ (wishes for all) written in Kannada were found in the car.

The incident came to light after a passerby, who noticed Nagaraj sitting still in the driver’s seat, suspected something fishy and informed the Nazarbad police.

Quoting family members, the police said Nagaraj had left home around 9 am and had visited some of his friends and relatives. It is only after that he may have ended his life.

Though the reason for the drastic step is not known, it is said Nagaraj, suffering from diabetes, was depressed in recent days.

The body has been shifted to the mortuary attached to the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute.

MLA Tanveer Sait and former president of Mysore and Chamarajanagar District Central Cooperative Bank C Basavegowda visited the mortuary.

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Nagaraj was the president of the Mysore District City Congress Committee between 1993 and 1995 and had served as the president of Mysore Cooperative Bank, Mysore, and Chamarajanagar District Central Cooperative Bank and Janata Bazaar.

He was the director of the District Cooperative Union and the president of the Congress Sevadal State unit. He was also a corporator for a term.

Nagaraj leaves behind wife Jayalakshmi, children Jayashree, Dinesh and Divyesh.