TUMAKURU: Two more ardent fans of Puneeth Rajkumar died in separate incidents in Tumakuru district. Bharath (30) of Kodipalya, near Hebburu in Tumakuru Rural, hanged himself on Tuesday, leaving behind a suicide note, saying he was “joining Appu”. As per his wish, family members ensured his eyes were donated.
In another incident, ‘Appu’ Srinivas (33) of Hirehalli village died of a cardiac arrest in the district general hospital on Tuesday night. He had been to Bengaluru for a ‘darshan’ of Puneeth, whom he considered a demigod.
On his return, he was disturbed and started behaving abnormally, and his family members admitted him to a private hospital. Later, he developed chest pain and was shifted to the government hospital where he suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
His was a love marriage with a filmy twist, and he used to watch Puneeth’s movies on the day they were screened, said Satish, a resident. “Puneeth’s death gave us as much pain as when Sri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt passed away last year. We need time to come to terms with his death,” he said. Satish visited Kanteerava Studio on Tuesday and paid his last respects at the tomb. Both the deceased were married labourers who left behind wives and small children.