CHENNAI: A 47-year-old AIADMK functionary, an aspirant for the upcoming Assembly election, allegedly died by suicide at the party office in Jafarkhanpet in the early hours of Thursday. The deceased has been identified as M Saidhai Sugumar (47), the AIADMK ward secretary for West Saidapet and a resident of Jafarkhanpet.
The Vadapalani police said he had expressed his willingness to contest from Saidapet Assembly constituency.
The police said he was found unresponsive at his party office on Pillayar Koil Street near his residence early on Friday morning. He was rushed to the ESI Hospital in KK Nagar, where doctors declared him brought dead. The police sent his body for postmortem.
Preliminary inquiries indicate that Sugumar had been under stress due to debt-related issues and family problems. Following the incident, around 50 people, including party members and a former AIADMK MLA, gathered outside the hospital. A case has been registered and further inquiry is under way.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)