Mangaluru: Man from Chikkamagaluru jumps off Ullal bridge

Mangaluru/Chikkamagaluru: A man jumped into the Netravati River from the Ullal bridge in a suspected case of suicide on Monday, October 30.

The jumper, identified as Prasanna Kumar (40) of Birapura village near Kartikere of Chikkamagaluru city.

Prasanna Kumar was involved in the vegetable trading business. He regularly supplied coriander leaves from Chikkamagaluru to markets in Mangaluru. He had reportedly told his family that he was going to Mangaluru to collect money owed in business transactions.

According to reports, at around 1 pm, he had arrived near the bridge in a car from Thokottu on the National Highway 66. He parked his car and thereafter jumped off the bridge from the fence opening at the side of the bridge, erected to prevent jumpers.

An eyewitness raised an alarm and later the photographs of the car were spread on social media to identify the person.

As the news of the incident spread, a large crowd gathered at the spot leading to traffic congestion for a while.

Prasanna is said to be of sound financial background, and the reason for the extreme step remains unknown. An investigation has been launched to ascertain the circumstances behind the incident.

A search is underway to locate his body.

There had been a considerable drop in the number of suicide cases at the bridge after the fence was installed following a rise in the spate of suicides at the bridge following the tragic death of Cafe Coffee Day founder Siddhartha in 2019.

Suicide is preventable. If you get any such thoughts, consult or seek expert help.

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