Tamil Nadu Engineer Suicide: Family denies ‘govt offers’, leaves hometown

It has been alleged that the official was facing suspension after he refused to obey certain orders from the minister’s office.

The family of Tamil Nadu agriculture department engineer Muthukumarasamy, who committed suicide on February 20, allegedly under political pressure from a minister’s office, vacated their Tirunelveli house Friday night. Sources close to the family said they were forced to do so after the AIADMK district leadership began pressuring them to withdraw the cases and accept ‘government benefits’.

ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu minister sacked for ‘driving’ official to suicide

Sethuram, the 22-year-old younger son of Muthukumaraswamy, said: “A chief engineer in the agriculture department approached us saying that the government is ready to offer us a job in Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu. They asked us to give a request letter. But we denied that offer. After all this, why should I accept a job in the same government,” he said.

Sethuram added that he is in the dark about the status of investigation.

“There is no news from CB-CID or any other government agency. Unfortunately, a section of media had carried false reports linking my father with a property deal. They should have verified facts before running a baseless campaign. Is it a crime for a government employee to purchase land worth Rs 13 lakh before his retirement? We have papers of an LIC loan and of the land purchase for which he was paying EMI of Rs 13,000,” he said. Sethuram admitted the reports that the state Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan was related to his mothers’ family. “But he has not contacted us,” he said. Sethuram did not comment on the reports of pressure from AIADMK leaders.

Meanwhile, PMK leader S Ramadoss demanded that the state government transfer the case to CBI and accused the government of trying to protect the real culprits and misleading public by planting foolish stories.

A P C V Shanmugam, a Congress leader and a close relative of Muthukumarasamy’s wife Saraswathi, said the AIADMK district leadership has been pressing the family. “They have kept up pressure to sign some papers agreeing to withdraw the complaint and accept some benefits,” he said, adding that unless there is a CBI probe, real culprits will not be arrested.

AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa had sacked minister S S Krishnamurthy from the agriculture portfolio after a state intelligence report found prima facie evidences against him and the alleged role of his office in the suicide of the engineer. The minister’s office allegedly demanded Rs 14 lakh from Muthukumaraswamy, who was the appointment authority of seven temporary driver posts. It was rumoured that the Minister’s office demanded Rs 2 lakh for each contract post.

“We had given a preliminary report of his suicide much before TNCC president E V K S Elangovan raised the issue. The government and AIADMK leadership were properly briefed about evidences against Krishnamurthy. But it was the pressure from media and Opposition that forced AIADMK to drop Krishnamurthy from the government. Unless there is a CBI probe, the CB-CID under the state government will not be able to interrogate or arrest the minister and his secretaries,” said a senior police officer.

Source:: Indian Express