Bodies of 28-year-old Manikanta and his relative 30-year-old Vasantha found in Kapila River at T. Narasipur

T. Narasipur: Mystery shrouds the death of a 28-year-old man and his relative, whose bodies were found in Kapila river here on Saturday. While it is suspected to be a suicide pact, a relative of the deceased has suspected something fishy behind the deaths.

Manikanta (28) a native of Lakkur village in Chamarajanagar district, who was residing at Jayadevanagar in Mysuru city and his relative Vasantha (30) of Halahalli in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar district are the deceased persons.

Manikanta, who was working at a private firm had married K. Jyoti of Honnur in Yalandur taluk in Chamarajanagar. She is employed at L&T Company. While another deceased Vasantha had married Shivamurthy of Koodlapura in Nanjangud taluk, but owing to differences among them, they were staying separately for the past two years.  Vasantha was working at ITC Company and was staying at a rented room in Banchallihundi in Nanjangud taluk.

On Jan. 5, Manikanta took Vasantha to his house in Mysuru and told his wife that she had come in search of job and will be staying here. On Jan. 6 at 9 am, Manikanta told his wife that he will be taking Vasantha for interview at a garment factory, on his two-wheeler.

At around 3 pm, Manikanta called Jyoti over mobile and told her about the police intercepting them and seizing the two-wheeler. He insisted her to transfer money through Google Pay, but she refused to do so.

 Jyoti received a photo of her husband Manikanta and Vasantha at Balamuri on her WhatsApp. Even as she was in haze over the dramatic developments, a stranger called her from her husband’s mobile and demanded money, blackmailing that he will be sharing the photo  (of Manikanta and Vasantha) on social networking site, if she did not pay heed to it. When Jyoti asked the stranger to hand over the phone to her husband, the stranger disconnected the call.

Perplexed Jyoti rushed home at around 4.30 pm only to find that her earring and finger ring were missing. She called her husband again who promised to return home after half-an-hour.  When she called him again, he confessed to have cheated on her and told that he won’t return home, before disconnecting the call. When Jyoti repeatedly called her husband over phone, the latter didn’t respond.

When Jyoti called again at midnight 12, Police received the call and told her about a motorbike and two cell phones found abandoned on Kabini bridge across Kapila river. She rushed to the spot, after which the Police with the help of divers retrieved their bodies.

Following a complaint by Jyoti who has expressed doubts over the possibilities of suicide, T. Narasipur Police have registered a case and are investigating further.

T. Narasipur PSI Tirumallesh visited the spot.