Search operations were suspended due to adverse weather, police said.
A 30-year-old fan of Argentina football star Lionel Messi went missing from Central Kerala’s Kottayam village on Thursday, hours after the country’s 3-0 loss at the hands of Croatia in the ongoing Fifa World Cup.
Police suspect the youth might have killed himself, after a purported suicide note was recovered from his house.
Dinu Alex, a private firm employee in Kottayam, was reportedly a die-hard fan of the football star and had purchased a jersey of Messi before the high-voltage match.
He was last seen by his mother around midnight when he was watching the match.
The purported suicide note, found from Alex’s bedroom, said: “I have nothing else left to watch in this world. I am going to the unfathomable depth of death. Nobody else is responsible for my death.”
Ayarkunnam police station house officer Anil Kumar V S said, a sniffer dog, which was brought to Alex’s house in Arumanoor village, had traced his scent to the banks of nearby Meenachil river.
“Search operations in the swollen river were suspended by the police and fire officials due to adverse weather.
Search would resume tomorrow. He was a fan of Messi. We don’t find any other reason that could prompt him to take an extreme step,” he said.
Kerala is known for its craze for football, which reaches its zenith during the world cup tournament.
Teams such as Brazin, Argentina, England and France have fans associations even in hinterlands of the state. Huge flex boards with photos of star players or teams have come up everywhere in the state.
Men sporting jerseys of their favorite teams and cars are painted in the colours of jerseys are a common sight here.