BENGALURU, 4 APRIL

A BJP worker allegedly died by suicide at his Bengaluru office in Nagawara on Friday. He alleged that an FIR filed against him by Congress leaders over a WhatsApp post pushed him to kill himself.

The deceased Vinay Somaiah, 35, accused Congress’ Virajpet MLA AS Ponnanna, Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and party worker Thennir Mahina of harassing him. All three have been booked for abetment of suicide, Hennur police said.

Somaiah was a native of Gonimarur village in Kodagu district and worked as an Operations Manager at a manpower supply company.

Police said he was earlier arrested over an FIR filed by Mahina in Madikeri. Somaiah was accused of making derogatory posts about Ponnanna and Gowda. Though he was later released, Somaiah’s family member told Salar News that he was disturbed since the incident. Following his death, Somaiah’s brother Jeevan KS filed a complaint at Hennur Police Station, accusing Ponnanna, Gowda, and Mahina of abetment of suicide.

Somaiah was the admin of a WhatsApp group ‘Kodagina Samasyegalu’ (Problems in Kodagu). He was reportedly booked after a member shared a post criticising Ponnanna by juxtaposing his image with that of a toilet, igniting a political spat between BJP and Congress. Later, an FIR was filed against two people from the group, including Somaiah.

Hours before he was found dead, he posted a message in the group expressing distress over false cases, social media harassment, and defamation.
In his suicide note, Somaiah alleged that the FIR filed against him was politically motivated and added that he was made admin of the WhatsApp group just days before the arrest. "My ordeal began with that FIR. My name was dragged into something I didn’t do. My photos were circulated widely without my consent, my family was embarrassed, and I was left with no dignity," the note reportedly states.
A family member told Salar News, "He couldn’t handle the shame. That FIR broke him. We want justice. He was punished for someone else’s words.”
A senior investigation officer told Salar News, "We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness and have begun verifying digital evidence."
Protests erupted in Madikeri on Friday, with BJP workers demanding the arrest of the accused. Police were deployed to control the crowd. BJP state president BY Vijayendra is expected to issue a statement.
Madikeri Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan told Salar News, "Social media abuse is indeed a growing concern. While defamation is a legal option, if a person feels personally attacked, police cannot take suo motu action unless a complaint is filed. Filing cases against group admins for someone else’s post is a grey area and must be handled with caution."

Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parameshwara assured a thorough probe. "Every post made on WhatsApp may not be accurate; it is crucial to examine its credibility," he told media.

Somaiah’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
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