CHENNAI: Upset at being chided by his senior official for staying away from work for a long period, a 42-year-old MTC conductor attached to the Perambur depot committed suicide by consuming liquor laced with poison, here on Wednesday night.
The incident sparked protest among fellow crew who refused to operate buses, demanding that his superiors be booked for driving Anantha Raman, the conductor, to the extreme step. Anantha Raman had approached the depot manager Krishnan to join duty after a month’s leave he had taken for a relative’s marriage, but was chided by the latter for the long absence. Anantha Raman went to a TASMAC outlet on the Otteri-Konnur, where he bought liquor, mixed it with pesticide and consumed it. He was rushed to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where he died later.
Meanwhile, his colleagues at the depot refused to operate the buses, but were pacified by the police who assured them of action into the death. Trade unions alleged the conductor was not assigned duty on Wednesday despite him producing the fitness certificate.