TIRUNELVELI: It is like any small town colony in Tamil Nadu. But, Thirumal Nagar, on the outskirts of Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district, is now shrouded in gloom. What catch the eyes are the posters that have appeared on whitewashed concrete houses and street walls. Put up by residents, the posters demand a CBI probe into the suicide of 58-year-old S Muthukumarasamy. The executive engineer of the state agriculture department had jumped in front of a train near Thatchanallur, 5km from Palayamkottai, on February 20.
The suicide kicked up a furore as news spread that he had been driven to take the extreme step due to political pressure. Muthukumarasamy, who was to retire at the end of the year, had headed a committee constituted to make some appointments. On February 20, he had left home as usual at 10.30am, telling his wife Saraswathy he would be back for lunch. But, at 2.30pm she received news that her husband's body had been retrieved from the railway tracks. "He was a straightforward person and we never thought he would take such a step," said Samy, a cousin, going on to add that the family wanted to be left alone as uttering anything could lead to unwanted political attention.
Muthukumarasamy's younger son M Sethuraman, 24, denied his father had committed suicide due to family problems. "We come from a good family and there was no problem at all," he said. Shocked residents came to the family's support. Members of the Thirumal Nagar Residents Welfare Association and Alagar Nagar Residents Welfare Association put up posters on the walls of the houses demanding a CBI enquiry into the Muthukumarasamy's death. "This is the first time residents are demanding a CBI probe into the death of a fellow resident. That's because we know he was an honest officer,'' said P Varagunan, secretary of the Thirumal Nagar Residents Welfare Association.
Muthukumarasamy had moved into the area about two-and-a-half years ago. "We used to meet during morning walks. About two weeks before his death, he looked very depressed and when I asked him about it, he said it was nothing," said Varagunan. "He then told me he was under some political pressure regarding appointments, but did not elaborate," he added. Varugunan later learnt that Muthukumarasamy had appointed seven temporary drivers in the agricultural department without giving into pressure from a 'minster' and his associates. "He was being continuously harassed by them and this drove him to suicide,'' said Varugunan.
The Tirunelveli railway police registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC for unnatural death and are investigating. Police sources said the driver of the Dadar Express (Train No 11021) had said he saw a man walking near the western end and suddenly get on to the tracks after throwing away a mobile phone.
The suicide kicked up a furore as news spread that he had been driven to take the extreme step due to political pressure. Muthukumarasamy, who was to retire at the end of the year, had headed a committee constituted to make some appointments. On February 20, he had left home as usual at 10.30am, telling his wife Saraswathy he would be back for lunch. But, at 2.30pm she received news that her husband's body had been retrieved from the railway tracks. "He was a straightforward person and we never thought he would take such a step," said Samy, a cousin, going on to add that the family wanted to be left alone as uttering anything could lead to unwanted political attention.
Muthukumarasamy's younger son M Sethuraman, 24, denied his father had committed suicide due to family problems. "We come from a good family and there was no problem at all," he said. Shocked residents came to the family's support. Members of the Thirumal Nagar Residents Welfare Association and Alagar Nagar Residents Welfare Association put up posters on the walls of the houses demanding a CBI enquiry into the Muthukumarasamy's death. "This is the first time residents are demanding a CBI probe into the death of a fellow resident. That's because we know he was an honest officer,'' said P Varagunan, secretary of the Thirumal Nagar Residents Welfare Association.
Muthukumarasamy had moved into the area about two-and-a-half years ago. "We used to meet during morning walks. About two weeks before his death, he looked very depressed and when I asked him about it, he said it was nothing," said Varagunan. "He then told me he was under some political pressure regarding appointments, but did not elaborate," he added. Varugunan later learnt that Muthukumarasamy had appointed seven temporary drivers in the agricultural department without giving into pressure from a 'minster' and his associates. "He was being continuously harassed by them and this drove him to suicide,'' said Varugunan.
The Tirunelveli railway police registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC for unnatural death and are investigating. Police sources said the driver of the Dadar Express (Train No 11021) had said he saw a man walking near the western end and suddenly get on to the tracks after throwing away a mobile phone.
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