Debt-ridden hotel owner dies by suicide, LPG costs add to distress

Belagavi: A 65-year-old hotel owner allegedly died by suicide at his eatery in Hukkeri town Tuesday morning, with police citing severe financial distress, compounded by high LPG costs, as the primary cause.The deceased, Ramachandra Shankar Halluri, had been running Hanuman Hotel near the old bus stand for the past 16 years.Police said Halluri had been facing sustained business losses over the past 4-5 years, significantly weakening his financial position. Being under a debt burden of around Rs 11 lakh, he was finding it increasingly difficult to meet routine expenses, including rent and loan repayments.On Tuesday, Halluri is said to have opened his hotel as usual around 6am. He was later found hanging inside the premises. Police from Hukkeri police station rushed to the spot, conducted a preliminary inspection and shifted the body for postmortem. "Preliminary investigation indicates that the primary reason for the suicide was the financial burden arising from loans taken for the hotel business," a senior police officer said.Police dismissed rumours linking the death solely to disruption in LPG supply. "A filled gas cylinder was available at the hotel and was verified to be functional. It has been confirmed that financial stress due to inability to repay debts was the direct cause," the officer added.Officials, however, noted that Halluri had struggled to purchase commercial LPG cylinders at higher prices amid supply constraints, adding to his financial strain.