Survey department staff commits suicide, relatives allege torture by officials

His family members have blamed the alleged torture by his higher officials to have forced him to take the extreme step

Muthumalai, a draftsman in the department, had gone to brush in the morning at around 8 am. As he did not come out of the bathroom for a long time, his wife, Gomathi, called him out. But when there was no response, she entered the room and found her husband hanging from the ceiling fan. He was rushed to Palayamkottai General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. His family members and members of a caste outfit staged protest outside the hospital and refused to accept his body. They blamed the torture given by his higher officials for the suicide. They said that Muthumalai had been complaining about the ill-treatment for around one month. He had even told them that it is better to commit suicide than to work in the survey department, a relative said. 

Though the family had insisted him to resign from the job, he did not accept their idea and continued to work, the relative added. The protesters also demanded a government job for Gomathi, his wife, as she had to shoulder the responsibilities of the family.