Investigations by the Vishrambaug police into the suicidal death of Siddharam Vijaykumar Kalshetty (25), a resident of Akkalkot, Solapur, has revealed that he took the extreme step in an act of revenge.

Before shooting himself, Kalshetty attacked Rohit Kharat (25) with acid at Sadashiv peth, on April 16.

In 2018, Kalshetty was arrested by the police after a complaint related to molestation was lodged against him by the victim’s mother under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 354 D, on December 12, 2018.

Police inspector Sunil Kalgutkar, incharge, Vishrambaug police station, said, “Kalshetty had sustained huge losses in the sweet oil business. This was after a molestation case was lodged against him by the victim’s mother.”

“He got in touch with the victim’s mother on Facebook. The victim’s mother is an astrologer. He sent her an obscene messages after which she lodged a complaint with the Vishrambaug police. Kalshetty was arrested and was kept in police custody for three days after which he got bail,” Kalgutkar said.

“After being released, he harboured a grudge against the woman and took the extreme step to throw acid on her son,” he said.

The entire area was cordoned off to keep the crowds at bay sensing that Kalshetty would resort to some mischief. The fire brigade personnel were called to assist the police to climb into the building where he was holed up. A number of senior police officials rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

Local residents maintained that it was for the first time that such an incident took place in Sadashiv peth.

Police patrolling continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as part of security measures undertaken to maintain the safety and security of the residents in the area.

First Published: Apr 18, 2019 14:43 IST