Bengaluru: A 45-year-old temple priest committed suicide by setting himself ablaze while sitting in his car in a ground in Sir M. Vishweshwariah Layout under Kumbalgodu police station limits on Thursday afternoon. According to police, the deceased has been identified as Shivashankar Hebbar, a resident of Jnana Jyothi Nagar near Nagadevanahalli main road. He was a priest at the Shani Mahatma Temple located near his house, the police said.
On Thursday noon, at around 12:30 pm, Shivashankar went in his Maruti 800 car and parked it under a tree at a remote ground in Sir M. Vishweshwariah, 2nd block. It looks like he had come prepared to commit suicide as he had brought a can of petrol with him, said the police. Before taking the extreme step, Hebbar is said to have kept few documents under the tree and then went and sat inside the car to pour petrol all over him and set himself ablaze.
The public who noticed the car with smoke and fire alerted the police and fire service, who rushed to the spot and doused the fire. The officers found Hebbar in a charred state and shifted his body to Rajarajeshwari Hospital for post-mortem. The police then informed his wife and other family members about the incident.
Shivashankar Hebbar got married to Anupama 14 years ago and the couple has a 11-year-old son. He hails from Udupi. The family had come to Bengaluru around 10 years ago and were residing in a rented house in Jnana Jyothi Nagar, said the police. His wife Anupama is working at a mobile phone network company, added the police.
The police mentioned that he might have taken the extreme step due to some family disputes, but the exact reason is yet to be ascertained. A case of unnatural death has been registered at the Kumbalgodu police station.
