Mysuru:  A retired government employee from city, who was suffering from illness, committed suicide by hanging at Srirangapatna on Tuesday night and the incident came to light yesterday morning. He has left a cheque for Rs. 40,000 for his kin to perform his last rites and also left a suicide note asking his family members not to get depressed over his death.

Sixty-nine-year-old Ramakrishna, a resident of Ramakrishnanagar in Mysuru checked into Sri Venkateshwara Lodge at Srirangapatna on Tuesday evening. He had retired from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation and was suffering from some illness. Incidentally, the lodge is located near Srirangapatna  Police Station.

Ramakrishna had told the lodge staff that he was a resident of Ramakrishnanagar in Mysuru and would stay at the lodge for a day or two. He had dinner at a hotel on Tuesday night and when the lodge room boy knocked the doors of his room yesterday morning, Ramakrishna did not respond.

The room boy alerted the lodge manager who informed Srirangapatna Police. Circle Inspector Niranjan and Sub-Inspector C.M. Ravindra visited the lodge and the doors were opened forcibly. Police found Ramakrishna’s body hanging from the ceiling fan. He had hung himself using a bed sheet.

Police also found a cheque for Rs. 40,000 and a suicide note. Police told Star of Mysore that Ramakrishna had left the cheque for the relatives to perform his last rites and other rituals. He wanted the rituals to be performed at Srirangapatna and had mentioned that well-known astrologer Bhanu Prakash Sharma must perform the rituals.

Police said Ramakrishna had mentioned in the suicide note that he was ill and depressed. He has stated that he does not want to become a burden to the family and he was deeply disturbed as many treatments failed to heal the illness. He also wrote that he had educated his children and they are in good positions now.

Ramakrishna has asked the children not to worry and go into depression following his death. He has told them not to spend any money for his last rites and instead use the Rs. 40,000 he has left behind for cremation and other rituals.

According to the Police, Ramakrishna’s children shared a cordial relationship with their father. Family members told the Police that Ramakrishna was under depression since a few days due to ill health and this drove him to take  extreme step.

Family members were summoned to Srirangapatna Police Station yesterday and Ramakrishna’s body was handed over to them after post-mortem.