Gokarna: A 45-year-old man committed suicide by drowning into the sea. His body was recovered on Monday evening at Jatayutirtha, between Gokarna and Kudle.

The deceased has been identified as Shankar Vaman Mehendale, a resident of Rathabeedi in Gokarna. According to family members, he was depressed for the last few days as his niece had run away with a boy from another community and had married him much against the wishes of family.

Sources said that he had gone missing from house on July 11. The family members had made an all efforts to trace him, but could not. It was only late in the Monday evening that his body washed to the shores of beach. Police officials had an herculean task to fish out the body from the boulders.

A case of unnatural death has been registered and investigations are on.