Head pontiff of the Lingayat Kanchugal Bandemutt Basavalinga Swamy allegedly died by suicide in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka on Monday, reported NDTV. The seer left behind a two-page note in which he claimed that some persons were threatening to defame him.

The seer was found dead in his room at Kanchugal Bandemutt on Monday morning by some of the devotees, reported The Indian Express.

The Ramanagara Police have started an investigation into the death. “We registered a case of abetment to suicide and are investigating,” Superintendent Police Santosh Babu, told The Times of India. “We’ll question those who had been close to the Swamiji and had been in constant touch with him over the phone.”

Basavalinga Swamy was the chief seer of the mutt for 25 years.

On September 5, Basava Siddalinga Swami, the Lingayat Seer of the Madiwaleshwar Mutt in the Belagavi district was found dead in his room, NDTV reported. The seer had also left a note, content of which has not been made public.