The Hindu : Gopal's father-in-law commits suicide

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Gopal's father-in-law commits suicide

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CUDDALORE July 7. R.S. Pandiyan (55), father-in-law of R.R. Gopal, editor, Nakkheeran, was said to have committed suicide in his foodgrains godown at Vriddhachalam today. His driver found him hanging.

On information, the police took away the body for post-mortem in the government hospital. They said Pandiyan, a dealer in foodgrains, had used his dhoti to hang himself, probably in the wee hours.

Three letters, purported to have been written by Pandiyan, were found in the godown. One of the letters carried details of money he owed to debtors, and another, information of outstandings (about Rs. 7 lakhs) due to him from certain clients. In the third letter, addressed to his wife, Dhanalakshmi, and daughters, Vijayalakshmi (wife of Mr. Gopal) and Rajyalakshmi, Pandiyan said that ever since the arrest of Mr. Gopal under the Prevention of Terrorism Act he had been deeply disturbed.

Attributing reasons for his death, relatives say Pandiyan was recently stripped of party post as leader of the Cuddalore east district Jayalalithaa Peravai and primary membership of the AIADMK as well. Secondly, he could not recover from deep debt. Thirdly, he had been in a state of shock ever since the arrest of Mr. Gopal, and finally, he was ``indirectly subjected to harassment by sleuths''.

It is said that as Mr. Gopal was brought from the Chennai prison to Coimbatore in connection with a court case on July 1, Pandiyan went there to meet him, his car sporting the AIADMK flag. The very next day Pandiyan received marching orders at Salem and he became dejected, as he had been in the AIADMK since the days of M.G. Ramachandran.

Another version has it that ever since the arrest of Mr. Gopal plainclothesmen had been stalking him wherever he went. He felt that his freedom was curtailed.

As Pandiyan was not financially sound, Mr. Gopal is said to be taking care of the education of his brother-in-law, Raja, who is doing a medical course in Moscow, Russia.

Court permission to attend funeral

L. Rajendran, special judge of the POTA court at Poonamallee, near Chennai, today granted Mr. Gopal permission for six hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow to attend the funeral.

As soon as the defence counsel made a plea for interim bail, the special public prosecutor, S. Jayakumar, who conceded the request by the accused, told the judge that as there was no provision under the Code of Criminal Procedure for granting interim bail, he could give Mr. Gopal permission, using his discretionary powers.

The judge said Mr. Gopal should be taken from the Chennai prison at 6 a.m. to reach Vriddhachalam by 10 a.m. and brought back from there at 4 p.m.

The judge then extended the remand for Mr. Gopal till August 1. The public prosecutor said arguments on his bail petition would begin on July 18.

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