A 42-year-old street vendor from Bengaluru died by suicide after allegedly being subjected to repeated extortion attempts through false cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
The deceased, identified as Papanna, was a resident of Channasandra in Kadugodi and earned his livelihood by selling flowers and vegetables.
Video details allegations before death
Hours before taking the extreme step, Papanna recorded a two-minute video in which he described what he claimed was years of harassment by a group of individuals from AGK Layout in Kadugodi.
In the video, he alleged that Jogi Seena and others had recently filed an atrocity case against him and his sister, Bhagya. He further claimed that the same group had lodged a similar case against him in 2021.
According to Papanna, the earlier case was withdrawn only after he paid Rs 10 lakh to those involved.
Alleged demand for another Rs 10 lakh
In the video message, Papanna claimed that the accused were once again demanding Rs 10 lakh to close the latest case.
Describing himself as a poor street vendor, he questioned how he could arrange such a large amount of money. He also urged police to investigate the alleged racket and take action against those responsible.
Papanna further appealed to authorities to protect his sister Bhagya, whom he described as another victim of the alleged harassment.
Family alerted before tragedy
Police said Papanna shared the video with his sister and several others late on Friday night before consuming poison.
After receiving the message, Bhagya and others rushed to his residence. However, he had already died by the time they arrived.
The incident has sparked concern in the locality, with residents demanding a thorough investigation into the allegations made in the video.
Four arrested, probe underway
Police have launched an investigation into both the suicide and the allegations contained in Papanna’s final message.
A senior police officer confirmed that Jogi Seena and three others have been arrested in connection with the case. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest additional suspects.
Authorities said the investigation will examine the claims of extortion, the filing of atrocity cases and the circumstances that led to Papanna’s death.