BJP Councillor Found Dead in Thiruvananthapuram Office; Suicide Note Cites Financial Strain

Thiruvananthapuram: K. Anil Kumar, BJP councillor from the Thirumala ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, was found dead inside his office on Friday morning. Police said he was discovered hanging, and his body has been sent for post-mortem before being handed over to his family.

In a suicide note, Anil Kumar alleged that his party had failed to support him during the financial collapse of the cooperative bank he was leading. The note also revealed that he had been battling severe mental distress in recent days. The Poojappura police have registered a case and initiated further proceedings.

Tensions flared after the incident, with BJP workers allegedly manhandling journalists, including women reporters, who had arrived to cover the news.

BJP district president Karamana Jayan, who visited the bereaved family, described the death as “extremely unfortunate” and attributed it to stress linked to issues in cooperative societies. “There were no irregularities, and the party had intervened to resolve matters by engaging directly with depositors. Yet, the mental strain arising from these challenges may have led to this tragic end,” Jayan said.

He further added that the party leadership had stood with Anil Kumar until the very end. On the reported assault on journalists, Jayan clarified that the incident had not taken place with the knowledge or sanction of party leaders and tendered an apology.

The incident has cast a shadow over cooperative banking operations in Kerala, with party leaders acknowledging that broader systemic issues in the sector had weighed heavily on the deceased councillor.