Shivamogga, 14 Jan

A government school teacher, who was also assigned voter verification duty as a Booth Level Officer (BLO), died by suicide at the Government Higher Primary School in Baluru village of Shivamogga district on Tuesday.

His family alleged extreme work pressure as the cause. The deceased, Dhananjayappa, 51, was a native of Jinahalli village and a resident of Honnali. He is survived by his wife Asha, 38, and two daughters. Police said he arrived in the village early in the morning after completing voter verification work and later went to the school, where he taught classes as usual.

During the recess, he reportedly asked students to step outside the classroom before taking his own life. Shikaripur Block Education Officer Lokesh told Salar News that there was no work pressure from the education department and that the teacher had been performing his duties normally.

However, Police Inspector Anand Patil said Dhananjayappa had expressed stress over his BLO duties to his wife earlier that morning. She advised him not to take undue tension and suggested opting for a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), as their children’s education was nearly complete.

A case has been registered.