Debt-ridden businessman shoots himself dead

A debt-ridden businessman, son of a retired police officer, committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest with his father’s licensed revolver in front of Taralabalu Kendra in R T Nagar police limits on Monday afternoon. It is said that he took the extreme step as he had suffered losses in business.

Raghavendra, 33, was the eldest son of V Ramaiah, who retired as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Public Relations), Bangalore City, a year ago. Raghavendra pumped a single bullet into his chest sitting in his car and died on the spot, police said.

He would always carry his father’s revolver whenever he went to his farmhouse.

Nobody in the family suspected when he went out with the weapon on Monday, as it was a routine affair.

He owned two trucks and operated them to transport sand. He was a partner in real estate and cement business with some of his friends.

Raghavendra had left four suicide notes addressed to his father, mother, wife and the RT Nagar police inspector. In the letter to the inspector, he held himself responsible for the act and pleaded not to harass his family members for his act. He said he decided to take the extreme step due to a financial crisis, police said.

“It is a clear-cut case of suicide and there is no foul play,” DCP (North) Sandeep Patil told Deccan Herald. A CCTV camera installed at the Taralabalu Kendra building captured the act. The police would analyse the footage to ascertain how the incident took place, he said.

In the second letter addressed to his father, Raghavendra has apologised for his act.
He had borrowed Rs four lakh for his friend Umesh and Rs two lakh for himself. He found it difficult to repay the loans as his business did not progress as expected.

Two other letters were personal in nature as they were addressed to his mother and wife. Hence, the police did not open them and handed them over to the women, the DCP said.

All the four letters were word documents typed on a computer. He had given them to his car driver Manju, saying that the letters would be collected later. Manju handed over the letters to the police after the incident.

Raghavendra was married to Meena seven years ago and has two daughters. Earlier in the day, Raghavendra dressed up his daughters and sent them to school.

Clad in half-pants, he went out, informing Meena that he was going to a saloon. He sent a message to his friend Madhu, using WhatsApp and requesting him to come near Taralabalu Kendra at 11 am.

He sent another message some time later, requesting him to be there by noon as he wanted to discuss a business issue.

He sent similar messages to a couple of his friends, said Raghavendra’s business partner.

“I called him up, but there was no reply. I contacted Madhu and we went there and noticed his car from a distance. It was parked on the roadside and his number was not reachable when we called,” he said.

They noticed him in the driver’s seat, leaning on the door. They grew suspicious as the doors were locked from inside. They then forced open the door. “We were shocked to see him in a pool of blood with injury marks on the chest. We rushed him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead,“ he said.