Director-General of Police Ashok Kumar on Sunday directed the State Crime Branch CID to investigate the suicide by a senior engineer of the Agriculture Department in Tirunelveli last month.
S. Muthukumarasamy, Executive Engineer, jumped before a speeding train and died on February 20. The official is suspected to have taken the extreme step as he was under pressure in the matter of recruiting drivers in his department.
While the official wanted the recruitments done based on seniority through the District Employment Office, the established procedure, his colleagues claimed that a “highly influential person” wanted him to consider a separate list of candidates. TNCC president E.V.K.S Elangovan accused Agriculture Minister ‘Agri’ S.S. Krishnamoorthy of bringing undue pressure on the engineer. Mr. Krishnamoorthy was dropped from the Cabinet on Saturday. Fearing departmental action months ahead of his retirement, the engineer committed suicide.
A day after the incident, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan accused State Agriculture Minister ‘Agri’ S.S. Krishnamoorthy of bringing undue pressure on the engineer and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the incident.
While the AIADMK removed Mr Krishnamoorthy from the post of Tiruvannamalai South district secretary, DMK leader M.K. Stalin demanded that the Minister be dropped from the Cabinet and arrested. Succumbing to the demand of opposition parties, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam sacked Mr. Krishnamoorthy from the Council of Ministers on Saturday evening. Special teams of the CBCID reached Tirunelveli on Sunday for a preliminary investigation. Investigators will peruse the call details record of the engineer and others whose involvement is suspected.
