CHENNAI: A 28-year-old policeman committed suicide at his house in Injambakkam in the early hours on Monday. This is the second such incident reported in the last 24 hours. In both cases, the family members attributed the death to the mounting stress at work and disturbed personal life.
V Balamurugan, who joined the department in 2013, was posted at the Ashok Nagar Police Training College. "For the last one week, Balamurugan seemed to be depressed, but continued going for work. I last spoke to him on Sunday evening, but he did not disclose anything. However, his father complained that he was under work pressure and mounting debts, which could have made him end his life," said the victim's relative seeking anonymity.
Balamurugan is survived by his father Vijayan (64) and his mother, who recently lost her leg in a road accident. "He is the sole breadwinner of the family and had mounting debts, which he was stressed about," said the relative. "On Monday, around 4 am, he allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling near the bathroom in his house. Three hours later, the victim's father found him dead," said a police source.
A case was registered and the body sent to the Government Royapettah Hospital for autopsy.
"Balamurugan would leave for work around 8 am and return by 9 pm and did not have time to spend with his parents. As he seemed to be depressed, his father had asked him to resign," the relative said.
On Sunday, Sathish Kumar (42), Grade-1 officer working as a driver at the Deputy Superintendent of Police office in Kancheepuram, allegedly ended his life by jumping in front of the Madurai-Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Express when it was passing Nathapettai.
Similarly, on March 4, 26-year-old police constable Arunraj, attached to the Armed Reserve battalion and on duty at the memorial of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, shot himself dead.