Chikkaballapur, 9 March

A 65-year-old man died after his car caught fire near Achepalli Cross in Bagepalli taluk, Chikkaballapur district, police said on Monday. The deceased was identified as Uday Kumar, a resident of Raghuvanahalli on Kanakapura Road in the City.

The incident occurred on Sunday when he was returning after visiting his mother in his native place. Passersby alerted local police after noticing the car on fire.

Fire tenders arrived promptly and extinguished the blaze, but the flames had spread rapidly, resulting in Kumar’s death. His charred body was later recovered from the vehicle.

A senior police officer said, based on preliminary investigation, it appears to be a case of suicide, as no evidence of an accident or mechanical fault was found that could have caused the fire.

The officer added, "Teams have collected samples and other evidence, and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether there was any technical fault that led to the fire."