Man found dead in hotel days after sister’s death

Mangaluru : A 24-year-old man from Kasaragod was found dead in a hotel room in Maravoor under the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru on Monday, days after his 19-year-old sister died by suicide in Kerala.

The deceased, identified as Arjun Mahesh, was working as an automobile engineer in Dubai and had arrived in Mangaluru from Sharjah a day before his death. According to police, he had checked into a hotel in Maravoor and was later found hanging inside his room.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the exact circumstances surrounding the death were yet to be established.

“Arjun was found dead inside the hotel room. We have registered a case and are investigating all aspects to determine what led to his death. At this stage, we cannot conclusively establish the reason,” the commissioner said.

Police said no conventional death note was recovered from the room. However, investigators found a small note carrying the words “Amma, I am sorry” along with a request to inform two of his close friends.

“His family members had tried to contact him several times but could not reach him. We have collected the available evidence from the hotel room and are verifying his movements and communications before the incident,” Reddy said.

Police are also examining whether the death was linked to the recent death of his sister, Aija R Mahesh, 19, who had died by suicide in Kerala.

Aija had reportedly been staying at a hostel linked to a private NEET coaching centre at Cherpunkal in Palai. She was preparing for the NEET examination amid reports of a question-paper leak and was said to have been under considerable mental stress.

Arjun’s death has left the family facing another tragedy within a short span. Police said the post-mortem examination and further investigation would help establish the precise circumstances surrounding his death.

A local body representative, Soumini Ramakrishnan, said the family had already been struggling to cope with Aija’s death and that Arjun’s death had added to their grief.

The Bajpe police have registered a case and are examining hotel records, CCTV footage and other available evidence as part of the investigation.