A debt-ridden hotel owner in Karnataka's Belagavi has allegedly died by suicide, with his son saying the eatery shop had been shut for several days due to a lack of LPG cylinders.
The victim, Rama Halluri, was found hanging inside his shop, the Hanuman Hotel, located near the old bus stand.
His son, Uday, told reporters that he had some financial problems.
"Recently, due to the LPG gas shortage, he was facing a lot of problems. As he was not getting LPG cylinders, he was planning to use firewood to keep the business going," he said.
Uday also said he was not sure if his father was being harassed by money lenders.
"But I know he was very stressed about that gas cylinder issue," he said.
A senior police officer told NDTV that they were verifying all the details.
"It was a small restaurant which used LPG cylinders. A cylinder would last about eight days, and there is a suspicion that there was some financial stress," he said.
"What exactly led to the man claiming his own life is now a part of the investigation," he said.
Meanwhile, in a relief to hotel owners, the Karnataka government on Monday announced an increase in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders, adding 1,000 more to the existing allocation.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies KH Muniyappa, who met the gas companies and representatives of hotel associations in Bengaluru, said the total number of commercial cylinders supplied in the state will be increased to 10,000.
India's LPG supplies have come under strain as the Strait of Hormuz - a key route for imports - faces disruptions due to the war in the Middle East.
| Helplines | |
|---|---|
| Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health | 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com |
| TISS iCall | 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm) |
| (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.) | |
