Former soldier dies by suicide at railway station

A tragic incident unfolded at Duvvada railway station on Saturday afternoon when a retired soldier took his own life. Neelapu Venkataramana, 64, from Nellimukku village in Pedagantyada mandal, reportedly ended his life due to financial difficulties and personal family issues.

According to police and eyewitness reports, Venkataramana was on Platform 1 at the station around 1:07 PM when he suddenly stepped onto the tracks just as a train bound for Bengaluru was approaching. Despite the loco pilot applying the brakes, the train struck him, and he died on the spot.

Venkataramana had served in the Indian Army before retiring and later worked at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. After retirement, he ran a supermarket in Gajuwaka. In recent times, he faced significant losses in his business, which, combined with mounting financial stress, reportedly led to severe mental distress.

In addition to financial strain, family problems added to his distress. Police said one of his daughters is currently in jail, while another confirmed that her father had been suffering from depression due to the business losses and financial burden.

Railway police recovered the body and sent it to a government hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.