Kolar, 15 Oct

A 53-year-old teacher engaged in the State Government’s socio-economic survey was found dead in a tank near Iyapalli village in KGF taluk of Kolar district, on Wednesday.

The deceased, Akthira Begum, an assistant mistress from KB Hosahalli village in Kolar taluk, had gone missing on Monday after leaving home for survey work. When she did not return, her family and colleagues searched for her and later lodged a missing persons complaint with the Kolar police.

Begum reportedly left home without her mobile phone or survey kit, fuelling speculation. Sources said she had recently expressed stress over the workload. Around noon on Wednesday, her body was spotted in a tank by local cowherds, who alerted police.

Radhamma, Bloc Education Officer, said the teacher had asked villagers about the depth of the tank before jumping in. Sudharshan, a former student, remembered her as a good teacher who knew the area well.

This is the second such incident in recent weeks. On 28 September, Ramakrishna, 57, a teacher from Chintamani, died of a heart attack while on survey duty. His family blamed the delay in ambulance services for his death.