Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod
Kasargod, Aug 11: Distraught over his younger sister’s death following the nationwide NEET examination controversy, a 24-year-old NRI engineer from Kasargod was found dead in a hotel room near Mangaluru International Airport on Monday.
The deceased, Arjun Mahesh, was the elder brother of Aiza R Mahesh, a medical aspirant who ended her life in June after being devastated by irregularities surrounding the NEET results.
Police suspect Arjun died by suicide, unable to overcome the unbearable grief of his sister’s passing. A poignant, single-line note recovered from the scene read: "Amma, I am sorry."
Arjun, who worked as an automobile engineer in Dubai, had flown home to Kasargod in the first week of June to perform his sister's final rites. He returned to the UAE just 25 days ago, but family members revealed he had lapsed into severe depression, shattered by the tragedy that had undone his household.
A secret final journey
On Sunday, Arjun boarded a flight from Dubai and landed at Mangaluru via Sharjah, keeping his family entirely in the dark about his travel plans. Though he telephoned his mother on Sunday afternoon, he carefully concealed the fact that he was already on Indian soil. He then booked a room at a hotel in Maravoor, situated minutes from the airport. Significantly, on the hotel register, he signed in as 'Arjun Radhika' — embedding his mother's name alongside his own.
Concern mounted after Sunday afternoon when Arjun’s phone went abruptly switched off. Alerted by his worried colleagues in Dubai, relatives lodged a complaint with the Bekal police station in Kasargod.
Tracking his mobile signal with cyber cell assistance, officers narrowed his last active location to Mangaluru. On Monday morning, hotel staff knocked repeatedly on Arjun's door to no avail. They immediately alerted the Bajpe police, who rushed to the spot and forced open the door, only to find him hanging inside.
The Mangaluru City Police Commissioner confirmed that alongside the brief apology to his mother, Arjun had neatly appended the names and contact numbers of a few trusted friends, asking that they be informed of his death.
The Bajpe Police have registered a case of unnatural death, and further investigations are under way.
Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Kindly seek the help of mental health experts if you are under any kind of distress. Toll free helpline number 9152987821.