Karnataka: Lingayat seer found dead; suicide note alleges harassment

Basavalinga Swami, a 45-year-old seer of the Lingayat sect, was on Monday (October 24) found dead in a room in the Kanchugal Bande Mutt in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district.

The seer was found hanging from the room’s window grille, revealed the police.

Basavalinga Swami who was the chief seer of the Kanchugal Bande Mutt for 25 years, has left a two-page suicide note about being harassed by “some people who wanted to remove him from his position”.

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A case of unnatural death has been registered at the Kudur police station. The seer’s last few calls are being traced for evidence to back his allegations.

At around 6 am on Monday, some of Basavalinga Swami’s disciples found him hanging from a room’s window grille, said the police.

According to the complainant, Ramesh, a teacher at the Bande Mutt school, the seer was last seen at around 5 pm on Sunday (October 23).

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At around 6:10 am on Monday (October 24), Ramesh received a call from a mutt employee that the seer is not opening his room or taking calls. Following the call, Ramesh went to the rear of the room, found the seer hanging.

Preparations are on for the seer’s last rites on the mutt premises.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 1056, 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530).