A businessman was found dead on the premises of a rural cooperative society in Kattappana, Idukki on Friday. It is said that he committed suicide after not being able to withdraw the money deposited in the bank.
50-year-old Mulangseri Sabu of Kattappana was found hanging from the handrail of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-controlled Kattappana Rural Cooperative Society in the morning, Kattappana police said.
According to his relatives, Sabu had 25 lakh rupees in his account with the society. On Thursday, he went to the bank to withdraw Rs 2 lakh for his wife’s treatment, but the bank officials refused to give him the money. The officers allegedly behaved rudely and tried to assault him.
The police found a note near the body saying that bank secretary Reiji and employees Benoy and Sujamol were responsible for his death.
Various political parties and businessmen staged a demonstration in Kattappana city and in front of the bank on Friday to protest the death of the salesman.
The protesters blocked the police from moving the body and demanded the arrest of the bank chairman and employees. The team led by Perumade Deputy Superintendent of Police Vishal Johnson spoke to the protestors and the body was taken for post-mortem.
Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and traders have called a bandh in Kattappana town from 1 pm to 5 pm on Friday.
Sabu used to run a fancy shop in Kattappana town. He is survived by his wife Marykutty and children Abin and Alan.
The cooperative organization led by the Congress is now under the control of the CPN-Maoists who came to power four years ago.
State vice-president of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the Communist Party of India’s farmers’ organization, Mathew Varghese, demanded that a case be registered against the bank officials for the murder.
published – Dec 20, 2024 10:16 pm IST