- A 42-year-old man in Kerala died by suicide after harassment allegations on social media
- Deepak U was found hanging at his home after a viral video accused him of misconduct on a bus
- The influencer posted the video showing them on a crowded bus. She later deleted the clip
A 42-year-old man in Kerala's Kozhikode has killed himself after an influencer posted a video on social media accusing him of sexually harassing her on a bus.
The man, Deepak U, was found hanging at his residence on Sunday morning.
The police said that around 7 am, his parents knocked on his door to wake him up, but he did not respond. They then broke into his room with the help of neighbours and found him hanging.
Relatives said Deepak worked at a textile firm and had travelled to Kannur in connection with his work on Friday. On the same day, a woman travelling on the bus recorded a video alleging that he misbehaved with her.
The woman, an influencer, then uploaded the video on her social media account. The now-deleted clip showed both of them standing next to each other in the crowded bus.
The video went viral and received more than 20 lakh views and was also spotted by Deepak.
The family said Deepak, the only son of his parents, had not eaten for two days after the video went viral.
Deepak's parents said he was innocent and could not bear the public humiliation caused by the video.
His father said the family will submit a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking justice.
The influencer later deleted the video and then shared another explanatory clip defending her stance, which again was made private.
The police have registered a case of unnatural death and will record statements of relatives.
Activist Rahul Eashwar has also submitted a complaint to the Kerala Police, seeking a case for abetment to suicide against the woman.
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