COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) C Vijayakumar IPS died by suicide on Friday morning in the premises of his quarters attached to the camp office at Red Fields near Racecourse in Coimbatore city.
Sources said that he shot himself using his service pistol after returning from his jogging round at Racecourse.
The cop's body was shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem and was later handed over to his family at noon.
Senior police officers including ADGP (L&O) A Arun, City Police Commissioner V Balakrishnan, West Zone Inspector General of Police R Sudhakar, and SP V Badrinarayanan visited the hospital and expressed their condolences.
C Vijayakumar's body was then taken to his native Theni district by ambulance.
ADGP Arun told media persons that Vijayakumar, said to be in his mid-40s, had been suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and depression and that he was receiving treatment for the last few years.
He also claimed that the late cop had undergone a medical checkup four days ago and that doctors had prescribed alternate medication.
The top cop further added that Vijayakumar had not disclosed his health issues to his superiors. He said that a few top police officials in Coimbatore who knew Vijayakumar had spoken to him about it recently.
"Inquiry revealed there was no external pressure from his family and work," the ADGP said.
A case has been booked and an investigation into his death is underway, he added.
Meanwhile, forensic science experts have collected the pistol and bullets from the late cop's quarters. A dog squad has been roped in, too.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed shock and condoled the death of Vijayakumar.
Recalling the police officer’s service to the force in various capacities, including as the Superintendent of Police, Stalin said his death was a huge loss to the Tamil Nadu Police.
Meanwhile, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswamy demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.
BJP state president K Annamalai urged the state government to carry out an investigation to ascertain the 'reason' behind the suicide. Tagging the office of TN CM Stalin in a tweet, he asked what were the steps taken to address the work burden and fill up the 10,000 vacancies in the police department.
"One cannot so easily brush aside the suicide of a senior police official. The state government should conduct a serious probe into the matter and take action," Annamalai, a former IPS officer, said in the tweet.
Various other leaders, including MDMK chief Vaiko, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and AMMK's T T V Dhinakaran condoled the death of the officer.
Vijayakumar was a 2009 batch IPS officer. Earlier, he had served as Superintendent of Police in Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur districts. Later, he served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Chennai’s Anna Nagar. He was promoted as DIG and posted to the Coimbatore range in January 2023.
This is the second such incident in recent years of a senior official allegedly dying by suicide in Tamil Nadu. Then Tiruchengode Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vishnupriya allegedly died of suicide at her residence in Namakkal district in 2015.
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