Speculation are rife after the death of Nanjangud Taluk Health Officer (THO) Dr Nagendra SR, allegedly by suicide, at his home in Mysuru on Thursday morning.

The death has caused an uproar among doctors and health professionals in the city, who allege that Dr Nagendra was under intense pressure and targeted over rapid antigen tests (RAT) in the taluk.

Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO Prashanth Kumar Mishra’s name has surfaced after several doctors and members of Medical Associations accused Mishra of putting pressure on Nagendra to achieve a higher target with regard to RAT tests in Nanjangud.

Former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Karnataka chapter, Dr HN Ravindra told Bangalore Mirror, “Nagendra has been working very hard for the last six months during the crisis and despite a staff crunch in his taluk.

Though he did an exceptionally good job, there was a pressure on him to increase testing by 10 times. A lot of pressure was put on him by Mishra, who also had spoken to him rudely.”