Daijiworld News Network - Udupi (MB)

• Ice-cream vendor's misadventure takes the toll on his own life
• Bollywood-kind one-way love turns tragic
• Bitten by the love-bug, the self-perceived 'jilted' lover shoots himself and dies

Udupi, May 20: This could be an episode having derived straight inspiration from one of those escapist Bollywood potboilers.

The umpteen number of poor-boy-loves-rich girl-kind of stories have been misleading the youth, esp teenagers for many years now.

Santosh Kumar Gupta (25), son of Ram Ashray Gupta of Tingri in Shahjanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, has been selling ice cream in the vicinity for some time. He stayed with another three youngsters from UP, also involved in icecream selling in the area, in a rented house in Maruti street in Amavasekaria-Hejamady.

A family of a mother and three children live in the same street, earning their livelihood by running a telephone booth near the Hejamady bus stand.

Santosh had been a secret admirer of the graduate daughter, whom he had been watching every day. Bitten by the love-bug, he is said to have tried to make friends with the younger brother to earn her acquaintance. A month earlier, he even proposed to her, but when refused, reportedly tried to end his life by consuming poison.

Last week, Santosh is said to have to gone to his native place and acquired an illegal country-made revolver and brought it with him. His companions staying in Hejamady told the mediapersons that it was very easy to acquire such lethal weapons in Uttar Pradesh and expressed surprise that he could bring it down here that easily.

When, in the afternoon of Friday, May 19 he observed the mother of the girl having gone to the booth after lunch, Santosh rode his scooter and rushed to their house to propose to the girl again, after pushing the door open forcibly. He threatened her that he would kill himself if she declined his offer. Driven out of her wits, the girl made an SOS call to her mother. In the meantime, Santosh pulled out the revolver from his pocket, aimed it at his head and shot himself inside the girl's house.

Shocked by being eyewitnesses to the love-crazy but gory act, the three youngsters ran out and informed the neighbours. The police were informed. Udupi DySP Harishchandra, circle inspector H D Mendonca, Manipal PSI Renukaradhya and KMC Manipal forensic experts led by Dr Yoganarasimha have visited the place and made investigations.

Santosh's body was taken to Manipal for autopsy. Further investigations are on.

Neighbours expressed relief that Santosh, out of spite or revenge, did not harm the girl or other family members, while being sorry for the boy's death. The family will have to undergo the trauma of going after the police and court case for a long time, said a relative out of concern and worry for them.