Hit by lockdown, hounded by partners, restaurateur kills self

Karunakar Puthran, also known as, KK. Pic/Hanif Patel

A restaurateur was found dead on Thursday after allegedly facing mental harassment by his business partners, on whose Virar property he was running Star Planet, a restaurant. The deceased, Karunakar Puthran, 48, hanged himself at the restaurant and left a suicide note blaming the property owners, with whom he was in a profit-sharing partnership.

Puthran was found hanging inside the restaurant around 9 am by its woman cleaner, who raised an alarm. The restaurant's manager, Devdas Madival, reached the spot around 10 am.

The Arnala police registered a case of abetment of suicide against the property owners on the complaint of Puthran's wife, Shalini, on Thursday night.

Puthran committed suicide at his hotel, Star Planet in Virar. Pic/Hanif Patel

"Puthran has named property owners Jayendra Patil and Kishore Patil in his suicide note. I have learnt that they had been mentally torturing Puthran to pay the electricity bill," said Nagraj Shetty, general secretary of Vasai Taluka Hotel Association.

The Patil brothers entered a partnership with Puthran to run the business on a 30:70 basis, said another hotelier, Harish Shetty.

No biz in lockdown

"But in the lockdown, there was no business and we all have incurred losses. A few days ago, Puthran had narrated his ordeal to me. The Patil brothers were demanding that he give them their 30 per cent income. Also, since the power bill hadn't been paid, they wanted him to vacate the property," Shetty said.

Karunakar Puthran, also known as, KK. Pic/Hanif Patel

"Patil brothers also told KK to mortgage his flat to pay them R40 lakh. He wanted me to speak with the duo," Shetty claimed.

The restaurant had a pending power bill of Rs 8.50 lakh because of which, the supply had been disconnected. Puthran is survived by Shalini and their two sons.

Mental harassment

"The Patil brothers had been mentally harassing my husband. They would insult him in front of the restaurant staff. How will I raise my children now? One of them is a specially-abled child," she said. The Patil brothers were not reachable for comment.

"Based on the statement of the deceased's wife, we have registered an FIR against Jayendra Patil and his brother Kishore Patil under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Our efforts are on to arrest the duo," said zonal DCP Prashant Waghunde. Both the accused are the resident of Dongarpara, Virar East.

70:30
Profit-sharing ratio of Puthran and the Patil brothers