2 Days And 1,000 km Apart: Hounded By Charges, Threats, Bengaluru Man Ends Life After Wife's Suicide

Shocked by his wife’s death, a man travelled from Bengaluru to a hotel more than a thousand kilometres away in Maharashtra's Nagpur, where he died by suicide on Saturday. 

Shocked by his wife’s death, facing public outrage, and serious criminal charges, a 30-year-old Bengaluru man ended his life in a Nagpur hotel in the early hours of Saturday after travelling 1,000-kilometre away from home with his family. Suraj Shivanna, a franchise owner of an online delivery service, was named in a police case for dowry harassment and abetment to suicide following the death of his wife, Ganavi, two days earlier. Facing mounting pressure and alleged threats, Suraj and his family left Bengaluru on December 25, travelling by road with a brief halt in Hyderabad before reaching Nagpur on Friday evening.

The family checked into a hotel around 9.30 pm, booking two rooms. Just hours later, around 12.30 am, Suraj’s 60-year-old mother, Jayanti, found him hanging inside the hotel room.

Jayanti too attempted to take her own life by hanging. She survived only because the noose snapped, and her cries for help alerted hotel staff and other family members. Suraj was rushed to AIIMS-Nagpur, where doctors declared him dead. His elder brother, Sanjay Shivanna, 36, later lodged a police complaint.

Sanjay, a Bengaluru-based businessman, told investigators that the family had fled the city after facing intimidation from Suraj’s in-laws following Ganavi’s suicide. "Around 30 people stormed our house searching for Suraj, who was named in an FIR for dowry harassment. We were traumatised and in fear," said Sanjay.

How honeymoon in Sri Lanka led to suicide of Bengaluru couple 1,000km apart

Suraj had married Ganavi, an MBA graduate, on October 29. According to family sources, Ganavi was reportedly hesitant about the marriage and had been pressured into it by her aunt. Soon after the wedding, the couple left for a 10-day honeymoon to Sri Lanka. However, the trip reportedly turned bitter after issues related to Ganavi’s pre-marital friendship came to light, triggering intense arguments. The couple cut short their trip and returned to Bengaluru after just five days.

Efforts by family members, including Sanjay, to resolve the differences failed. Ganavi later left the matrimonial home for her father’s residence and, within hours, allegedly died by suicide. Her family subsequently filed a complaint accusing Suraj and his relatives of torturing her for dowry.

Rejecting the allegations, Sanjay maintained that no dowry demands were ever made. "We did not make any demands. We covered all wedding expenses. It's shocking on their part to hurl such allegations. Instead, Ganavi's family had started issuing death threats to us. My brother was scared and apologetic," he said, referring to the visit by Suraj’s in-laws to their home on December 22.

Suraj’s autopsy report is awaited as police continue to investigate the chain of events that led to two suicides within days.