Panchayat secy kills self blaming DMK councillor

VELLORE: The suicide of a panchayat secretary, who in a letter blamed a ruling party councillor for his untimely demise, resulted in relatives, friends and representatives of various parties refusing to accept the body till the accused was arrested. They staged a protest in front of the Veppankuppam police station on Saturday.

Rajasekar, secretary of Ramanayinikuppam panchayat hanged himself at his house on Friday night and left a note stating that no relative, friend or official other than DMK PU councillor Hari was responsible for his death.

He stated in the note that Hari was torturing him mentally by refusing to return Rs 2.5 lakh he had received for getting a fair price salesman job in a ration shop for his brother Praveen Kumar.

Relatives refused to accept the body after post-mortem at the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital till Hari was arrested. Veppankuppam police registered a case and are searching for Hari who is absconding. Meanwhile, the crowd blocked Anaicut Road and also impounded a government bus which came that way.

Vellore SP Rajesh Kannan rushed there and interacted with the agitators following which most of them dispersed. However, the body was yet to be released from the hospital.