Engineer suicide: Former Min Agri Krishnamoorthy arrested in Chennai

The Crime Branch-CID of the Tamil Nadu police has arrested the former Agriculture minister Agri S S Krishnamoorthy in connection with the suicide of senior engineer S Muthukumarasamy in Tirunelveli on February 20.

Krishnamoorthy, who was summoned at the CBI CID office in the city on Saturday night, was arrested early morning on Sunday, after at least an eight-hour-long interrogation, and was taken to Tirunelveli for further probe.

It was on February, Muthukumarasamy jumped in front of a train near Tirunelveli. The executive engineer’s suicide had snowballed into a major controversy in the state leading to the resignation of agriculture minister S S Krishnamurthy on March 7. He was also removed from the party posts. The minister’s office allegedly demanded Rs 14 lakh from Muthukumaraswamy for the temporary contract posts, which pays a salary of Rs 9,000 a month.

CB-CID has finally decided to arrest him after the opposition had launched a series of protests. A protest by Aam Admi Party (AAP) cadres had shaken the police after they managed to enter the residence of Chief Minister O Panneerselvan. DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, who first released the crucial call records data of Muthukumarasamy proving the role of minister’s office in his suicide, CPM and PMK parties had been demanding for CBI probe citing that the CB-CID, which is under the control of state police, will only help to protect the culprits in this sensitive case involving a former minister.

Senior CB-CID officers also confirmed that they have arrested Senthil, a Chief Engineer in the agriculture department for his alleged role in the suicide. Officials said Senthil was known as the CE (Chief Engineer) for Muthukumarasamy’s family and that Muthukumarasamy’s wife had said that Senthil used to call him often.

A week ago, Sethuram, son of Muthukumarasamy said we have been wondering why Senthil’s role was not being probed. “After all, my dad had told mother that it was Senthil’s call that made him upset. His frequent calls used to put him in severe pressure. And after the death of my dad, Senthil had come and offered us a job in Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT). We denied it, but I still wonder how an agriculture Chief Engineer could offer a job in IT ministry. His role should be probed,” Sethuram told The Indian Express.

Talking to the Indian Express, the district collector of Tirunelveli town had also confirmed that he had approached him to complain about the alleged pressure on him from the minister’s secretaries to pay a bribe for the appointment of seven temporary driver posts.

A senior police officer said CB-CID is currently given direction to avoid the arrest of secretaries as crucial evidences are against them. “We are asked to go slow. However, this is a crisis management as it is hight time to arrest the former minister,” he said.

Source:: Indian Express