'Issues started during Onam celebration'; Panchayat member, mother found hanging in Vakkom

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Verbal argument and a scuffle led to a police case and later to the suicide of panchayat member Arun and his mother in Vakkom. The series of untoward incidents started with a dance performance at Pattikavila Junction near Arun's house on the occasion of Onam celebrations. Arun got into a verbal altercation and soon into a fistfight with the people mentioned in his suicide note.

Subsequently, both parties filed counter-complaints with the police. In this case, it was alleged that Arun used a caste slur and even tried to break a necklace of one of the persons. But no further action was taken in the cases filed by both parties. Recently, the opposing parties approached the court against Arun.

Arun’s close friend admitted that the former feared the fact that the court would deny him bail if a case were registered. Panchayat member Faiyaz told Kerala Kaumudi that Arun had been in severe mental distress for the past few days and looked withdrawn. He even told his friends that he had given up hopes of contesting again in elections.

As part of the construction work on the market in the ward, Arun had spent money from his pocket to clean up the garbage that had accumulated in the market. The authorities had assured him to pay back the money as soon as he provided the details of the workers. After the work was completed, the Panchayat Secretary informed the Panchayat Committee about this, but five BJP members opposed. With this, the Rs 25,000 spent by Arun went into the drains.

According to locals, it was his mother who raised Arun from childhood after his father abandoned the family. Being a single child, Arun’s mother stood by him in everything he did and wished for. Arun returned the same affection to his mother. Locals believe that Arun took his mother along as he feared the fact of the elderly being alone after his death.

Every Saturday, Arun's wife, Reema and son, Tejas, used to visit Reema’s house in Panayilkadavu. Arun would bring them back by Sunday afternoon. This Sunday, Arun didn’t come to pick them up, and when Reema enquired, Arun promised to bring them back home by Monday morning. Alas...