BELAGAVI: Two fans in Belagavi died after hearing the news that Puneeth Rajkumar had passed away. While one fan suffered a cardiac arrest, another committed suicide on Friday.
Rahul Gadivaddara, 26, a daily wage worker, went into depression after hearing the news on television. His friends and neighbours in Athani town say he had never missed the first show of Appu’s movies.
After hearing the news, Gadivaddara made a small cutout of Puneeth with the help of his friends. He decorated it with flowers and fashioned a map of Karnataka alongside it. He placed it near a shrine with the line ‘Karnataka raja ratna, matte hutti baa anna’ (Karnataka’s king, born yet again). He then offered prayers, went into his house and hanged himself. Local police have registered an FIR.
In another incident, Parashurama Hunumantha Devannanavar, 33, daily wage labourer from Belagavi taluk and another ardent fan of Puneeth, suffered a heart attack and died en route to hospital. He had collapsed while watching news on the television.
