Kushalnagar: An ayurveda doctor was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his car near Anekadu on Bengaluru-Bantwal Highway on Friday. He is suspected to have taken his life by injecting poison.

Dr. G. Satish (47), a native of Shivalli in Pandavapura taluk in Mandya, was running a Ayurveda Clinic in the village. He was also serving on outsource basis at Government Ayurveda Hospitals in Periyapatna and Konanur.

 A Maruti Swift car was parked  on the Highway near Anekadu at around 3 pm yesterday, with a person in the driving seat found dead inside. The passersby, who noticed this, informed the Rural Police Station. When the Police Inspector Ramesh and staff rushed to the spot, they found injection marks on the hand of Dr. Satish, besides finding a syringe and bottle in the car. His identity came to be known with the help of a chit found in his pocket and his Driving License (DL).

The staff from Government Ayurveda Hospitals of Konanur and Periyapatna were also summoned to the spot to confirm the identity of the deceased.

According to the preliminary investigation, it is a case of suicide with the circumstantial evidences like syringes and medicines found on the spot. However, the authenticity of the death can be ascertained only on the basis of autopsy report.

Police have registered a case of suspicious death and have continued with their investigation.

Dr. Satish, who was visiting the hospital at Konanur on Wednesday and Saturday every week, was going to Periyapatna hospital on the remaining days of the week.

Accordingly, the doctor had been to Periyapatna hospital at 10 am yesterday and looked quite restless and vomited after a while. After drinking a cup of tea brought by a hospital staff, he went out at about 11 am telling that he would take rest in the car, said Ashwathi, a staff at Periyapatna Hospital.

“He was a good person and maintained a cordial relation with all. By his appearance, he did not look dejected, but don’t know why he took the extreme step,” said Ashwathi in a grief stricken tone.

Sandeep, a friend of Dr. Satish who spoke to media persons at Anekadu said “He was working as a doctor on outsource basis on contract for the past 18 years. However, he was pained over his job not being regularised. His son was also suffering from ailment and even he (Dr. Satish) had health issues. Hence he was dejected that may have driven him to end his life.”