BENGALURU, 18 APRIL

In a distressing incident, a 35-year-old worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Praveen Kumar, was discovered hanging from a tree near a private school in Sapthagiri Layout on Friday morning. The deceased was a resident of Denkanikottai in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district.

Authorities have revealed that Praveen posted a video on his Facebook page at approximately 3am, expressing his mental distress over the past two months and naming seven individuals he blamed for his situation. In the video, he accused a man named Kiran of harassing women through phone calls and subjecting him to abuse.

Praveen further recounted an incident where he was allegedly lured into a meeting with promises of discussing repayment for a loan he had extended. Instead, he claimed he was ambushed, stripped of his phone, and physically assaulted for two hours by a group of nearly 20 individuals, including Kiran.

In a statement to the police, Praveen's sister, Soumya, alleged that her brother had lent money to a woman named Shwetha several months prior. Following his repeated demands for repayment, Praveen was reportedly summoned to the residence of local BJP leader N Muniraju Gowda, where he was assaulted by Shwetha’s associates, allegedly at the behest of Bhagyamma Srinivas, a local municipal councillor and relative of Shwetha.

The Anekal Police have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Praveen's death and are working to uncover the full extent of the allegations.