Kochi: A 65-year-old was found dead on a railway track in Thiruvankulam on Monday morning, in an apparent case of suicide linked to a massive online financial fraud. The deceased has been identified as Rajan Namboothiri, a retired BSNL employee and a native of Kottayam. According to the police, he had been residing with his daughter and son-in-law at their home in Eroor for the past several months. 

According to family statements provided to the police, he had been deeply distressed after falling victim to a sophisticated cyber-scam that reportedly cost him approximately ₹3 crore.

The tragedy came to light after railway officials alerted local authorities about a body discovered on the tracks. "Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. He usually went for a morning walk. On Monday, he left at his usual time but failed to return. The railway officials alerted the police about the body on the track in Thiruvankulam and we later identified it as Namboothiri's,” a police officer said.

The police have registered a case of unnatural death and are currently examining the circumstances leading to the incident. While the local police are handling the death investigation, the financial fraud that allegedly triggered the victim's distress is already under scrutiny by the Kottayam police.

“According to the relatives, the victim was lured by a fraudulent application titled ‘US Stock Market Trade’. Within three weeks, the scammers siphoned off his life savings. This might have led to his suicide. We have not recovered a suicide note at this stage. It is understood that the Kottayam police are investigating the fraud case based on a complaint previously filed by the deceased. We are investigating all possible angles,” said the police.