Thiruvananthapuram: The suicide note of a Vakkom grama panchayat member, who died along with his mother on Monday, suggests he was under severe mental distress, allegedly triggered by a false criminal case filed against him and cyberbullying.

Arun (43), the elected representative of the 9th ward, and his mother, Valsala (68), were found hanging behind their house in Vakkom on Monday morning. Just before the incident, Arun sent a suicide note via WhatsApp to friends, claiming he had been falsely implicated in a criminal case that had taken a toll on his mental health.

The note, written on his official panchayat letterhead, held four individuals — Vinod, Santhosh, Ajayan, and Bini Sathyan —  responsible for his distress. At the time of the incident, Arun’s wife and son were reportedly away at her parental home.

“The case is fabricated. I didn’t do it. I am unable to renew my passport or obtain a police clearance certificate for a job due to this issue. This has affected me mentally. My family can’t live without me, but I have no peace. That’s why I am ending my life,” the note read.

Ganesh S, an elected member from the neighbouring Kunnuvila ward, said Arun had also been subjected to relentless online harassment. “He was bombarded with negative comments—mostly from fake accounts—whenever he posted about development work. He eventually stopped sharing updates altogether. This cyberbullying clearly affected his mental well-being,” Ganesh told Onmanorama.

In December 2024, Arun was booked under Sections 126(2), 296(b), 115(2), 351(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The case stemmed from a complaint that Arun and his associates had verbally abused and assaulted a man belonging to the Scheduled Caste community near Patikkavil Junction on September 16, 2024, allegedly while attempting to disrupt Onam celebrations.

In May 2025, Arun filed a counter-complaint against Vinod, Santhosh, and Ajayan, accusing them of attempted murder. Police registered a case under Sections 296(b), 115(1), 118, and 110 of the BNS. Investigations are ongoing into both the deaths and the cross-complaints.