Bengaluru: A 45-year-old software professional, Murali Govindaraju, died by suicide on Wednesday morning in his under-construction home in Nallurahalli — a property he had hoped would be the foundation for a better future. What began as building his “dream house” spiralled into an ordeal of alleged harassment, extortion and unbearable pressure.
From hope to horror: how it unfolded
Murali, who worked at a private firm in the ITPL area of Whitefield and lived with his family in Brookbong Layout, had bought a 40 × 60-sq ft plot in 2018 from a relative of his neighbours, Shashi Nambiar (64) and Usha Nambiar (57). Soon after his construction began, the neighbours began raising repeated objections — alleging deviations from approved building plans.
According to his 10-page death note (recovered after his death), Murali claimed that the Nambiars not only obstructed his construction but demanded ₹20 lakh to stop filing complaints against him.
Murali also faced repeated inspections and civic-body notices issued by Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), after complaints allegedly filed by the neighbours.
Final blow — a suicidal note, and no way out
On the morning of his death, Murali was due to appear before GBA officials, in response to one such notice. Instead, he left his home around 6 a.m., told his family he was under intense pressure and “being tortured,” then returned to his under-construction house and ended his life by hanging on the second floor.
His mother, Lakshmi Govindaraju (61), lodged a complaint after reading the death note. She said her son had been “harassed, tortured and repeatedly threatened” by the Nambiars since 2018 — when the dispute began. She also said that they had given him a deadline to deliver the ₹20 lakh demanded.
Legal action begins: arrests and investigation
Based on the allegations, Bengaluru police registered a case under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Nambiar couple — Shashi and Usha — have been arrested and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. Their son, Varun Nambiar, is reportedly absconding and being traced by investigators.
Several local residents have now reportedly come forward, claiming that the Nambiars have a pattern of filing complaints to extort money from homeowners under the pretense of civic-law violations. Authorities have urged anyone who has faced similar harassment to file complaints.
A sobering reality: when dreams become nightmares
Murali’s death — coming after years of legal trouble, neighbourhood hostility, alleged extortion, and civic harassment — underscores how property disputes and weak institutional processes can deeply affect ordinary lives. What was meant to be a milestone in his family’s future became a burden too heavy to bear.
He leaves behind a wife and two young daughters, now reeling from shock and grief.
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