Elderly man dies after his car catches fire in Karnataka; police probe suicide angle

CHIKKABALLAPUR: A 70-year-old man died after his car caught fire, leaving his body charred, police said on Monday.The deceased has been identified as Uday Kumar, a resident of Raghuvanahalli on Kanakapura Road in Bengaluru, officials said.The incident took place near Achepalli Cross in Bagepalli taluk of Chikkaballapur district on Sunday, when he was returning after visiting his mother in his native place, police added.Local police were alerted by passersby who noticed the car engulfed in flames.Fire tenders rushed to the spot and managed to douse the blaze. However, the fire had spread rapidly through the vehicle, leading to his death.Later, the charred body of the victim was recovered from the car, police said.Citing preliminary investigation, a senior police officer said it appeared to be a case of suicide as investigators did not find any evidence indicating an accident or a mechanical fault in the car that could have triggered the fire."However, teams have collected samples and other evidence, and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether there was any technical fault that led to the fire," the officer said. (With agency inputs)