Somnath Puthran suicide case: Mogaveera Sabha accuses Surathkal Police, demands judicial probe

Somnath Puthran suicide case: Mogaveera Sabha accuses Surathkal Police, demands judicial probe

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 2, 2026: The Dakshina Kannada Mogaveera Samyukta Sabha has accused personnel of the Surathkal Police Station of harassment that allegedly led to the suicide of fishing community member Somnath Puthran. The organisation has demanded that criminal cases be registered against the police officers concerned under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and that they be suspended.

Addressing a press conference at Urwa Marigudi Temple in Mangaluru on Monday, Sabha president Bharat Ullal alleged that police harassment was responsible for Puthran’s death. He said the deceased was the sole breadwinner of his family and had no criminal background.

The Sabha announced that it would submit appeals to the Chief Minister, the Home Minister, the district in-charge Minister and the Human Rights Commission, seeking a proper judicial inquiry into the incident.

Ullal said that although Puthran’s wife had filed a complaint against the two persons allegedly responsible for her husband’s suicide, no arrests had been made so far. He also expressed suspicion over the omission of the accused persons’ names from the FIR.

The Sabha has demanded that the accused be arrested within 48 hours. It has also called for an independent judicial inquiry by a serving or retired district judge, stating that an impartial investigation by the police department itself may not be possible. The inquiry report should be made public within 30 days, it said.

The organisation has further demanded the immediate seizure of CCTV footage, the general diary and other records of the Surathkal Police Station.

Among its other demands are compensation of Rs 2 crore to the bereaved family from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, a government job for Puthran’s wife on compassionate grounds and complete government responsibility for the education of his children.

The Sabha has also sought an assurance that no false cases would be filed against witnesses or members of the deceased’s family. It has demanded departmental action against the senior police officer who allegedly directed the police in connection with the case.

It has also called for the establishment of fishermen’s protection cells at coastal police stations and specialised training for police personnel on how to deal with members of the fishing community.

Leaders of various fishing community organisations, including Jaya C. Suvarna, Mohan Bengre, Sharan, Uday Kumar, Chandrakanth and Vinay, were present.

Question police action against Somnath

Raising questions about the police response, Ullal asked whether questioning a couple allegedly behaving inappropriately near a fisherman’s house amounted to moral policing.

He alleged that the couple had been behaving inappropriately near Somnath’s residence, away from Surathkal beach, late at night. While the police reportedly found that Somnath had consumed alcohol, Ullal questioned whether the young woman accompanying him had been tested for drug consumption.

He also expressed suspicion that the woman might have come from Delhi to sell drugs, though the allegation was not independently established.

Ullal warned that if the fishing community’s five key demands were not met within 48 hours, the coastal fishing community would launch a protest more intense than the agitation held against MRPL.

Fishermen’s leader Yathish Baikampady said the fishing community had always served as a protective force in safeguarding the coastal region, but one of its members had allegedly suffered injustice at the hands of the police.

"We want a proper judicial inquiry into the incident. If Somnath was at fault, we will withdraw our protest. Otherwise, the agitation will continue in an intensified manner," he said.